Growing Wings
by AnimeFreakSquee
Summary: She thought that she was normal. He thought that he was alone. Both were wrong. This is the story of how a girl accepted her true destiny. And how a fallen angel learned how to love again. KratosxOC. Please R&R. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings. Here's the full summary: Keira Maria Rosewood lived the life of an average human. But everything changes after the appearance of a mysterious man. A strange light teleports her to Sylvarant. After meeting the Chosen, she soon finds herself taking part in the journey to regernate the dying worlds. Along the way, she will experience, friendship, anguish, love, and betrayal as she tries to unlock the secret to her unknown heritage. **

**Crappy summary, I know. But it's better than nothing, I suppose. The main pairing is KratosxOC. But there will be others. This follows the Tales of Symphonia storyline but with some plot twists. So, without further adieu…**

**DISLCAIMER: I do not own **_**Tales of Symphonia **_**and its characters/storyline (nor do I own any other Tales game for that matter). **

**CLAIMER: However I do own my OCs and plot-twists. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Prologue- Aid **

The air was cold as mist swirled around the dark, never-ending abyss. A sigh filled the nothingness. _I've been trapped within this shell for centuries_. A woman thought; as she sat on the 'floor', and stared into the emptiness that she now called home. She raised her 'hand' and placed some of her long, light green hair behind one ear. _It's only a matter of time before the three worlds are once again in peril…there must be some way that I may guide them_. She thought. It had been so long since she had helped the three worlds; she began to wonder whether she still had what it took. She began to fear that her powers had become rusty; what with being trapped inside some never-ending dark room for centuries on end.

The determined woman stood up from her spot on the 'floor' (or what she assumed was the floor) and placed both hands in front of herself. _There is something I can do_. She thought as she concentrated all of her mana into her hands. She could feel the power pulsing through the veins in her palms; her surroundings were long forgotten and she placed all concentration on one spell. A jolt of pain struck her 'body' and she grimaced slightly. When she opened her bright green eyes; she found a small silver orb hovering directly above her palm. _So far so good_. She thought; she was panting slightly. _Now for the hard part_. Her hands began to move in odd patterns and she chanted in a strange language. A small vortex appeared in front of her; the woman took her chance immediately and threw the orb into the vortex. It closed seconds after.

The woman smiled at her handiwork; _heh, I did not think that I would be able to pull that off_. Suddenly her legs buckled under her, and she soon found herself falling to the floor. She groaned, "Ugh…that took more power than I thought." She thought about what she had done. _I will be weaker for sure…but, all in all, I think it just might be worth. I just hope that I can find a host before its too late_…


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank-you for putting my story on Story Alert, Gamesplayers. Chapter 1 is up. Also, for the quotes that I put in each chapter, don't ask me who the people are who say them. Most of the time I'm just putting random quotes up. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**games or their characters/**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs and storyline twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 1: Departing **

"_Human beings, who are almost unique in_

_having the ability to learn from the_

_experience of others, _

_are also remarkable for their apparent _

_disinclination to do so_."

-Douglas Adams

The sun began to climb over the horizon; the light fought off the darkness and engulfed the world. All living beings, animals and humans alike, began to rise for another day. The city of New York was as lively as ever; whether it be night or day. Cars drove down the long concrete roads; their owners desperately trying to get to work. The blanket of sunlight swept over the city; telling all that the day was beginning again. There was one apartment complex that was caught in the light. For some reason, the sun seemed to desperately trying to awaken those who lived there. They appeared to be like any other apartment; made of (AN: I have no idea what goes into the making of buildings, so please just bare with me and I attempt to explain the building's appearance) some white material with black shingles as the roofs. Each apartment was a two-story building. Some had cars while others did not…

Soft snores filled the bedroom as the creature within slept peacefully; blissfully unaware that daytime had, once again, arrived. A small kitten was curled on the pillow next to its master, snoring peacefully along with them. All was quiet. The kitten's master planned to sleep the day away…sadly, their alarm had other ideas…

A loud screeching sound stabbed my eardrums, thus dragging me into reality and scaring Samuel half-to-death. My torso jerked upwards, and I frantically glanced around the room. I was in my bedroom. I sighed in relief; _phew, it was just a nightmare_. I thought. My eyes narrowed as I looked at the annoying little red and white alarm clock that "beautifully" sang a "nice" little song to wake me up. My left hand reached over and pressed the 'snooze' button while I fell back on my bed. I sighed as I thought about the nightmare I had just been forced to sleep through; _that is why I hate Barney_…_why was my alarm set_? I glanced at the clock; _9:00 a.m…oh, now I know. I need to get ready for class_. Reluctantly, I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

My kitten, Samuel, was looking up at me with his adorable dark brown irises. I smiled as I knelt down and stroked the tiny baby cat's head. He was at least six months old. "That's a good boy." I cooed and stood up. I glanced around my room until I found the door that led into my living room. My white robe was hung there; I snatched up and went to the other door, which went to the bathroom.

There were two ways into my bedroom. One was through the bathroom (the door was to the right) and other was through the living room. My bedroom was, as I have said multiple times, a decent sized room (the whole apartment was a decent size). It had a double bed that was against the wall that as to the far right (head-board was touching the wall). Two nightstands sat on either side of the bed. Each nightstand had a lamp on it (the nightstand to the right had a phone while the one to the left had my alarm. The right one was also the place where I would usually place a cup of water so there was coaster next to the phone). My dresser was against my well, next to my window (which was towards the north end of my room). The top drawer was filled with undergarments and socks, while the second drawer was filled with sleep shirts, the third contained baggy sleep pants, and the fourth was filled with shorts (most of which were made of denim). A mirror hung over my dresser. My closet (which was filled with my day-clothes) was across from my bed. I kept all of my dress pants and jeans hung up in the middle while my long sleeved clothes were hung up towards the left and my short-sleeved shirts were towards the right. On the back of my bedroom door was a place to hang up my winter-coat, a black hoody that said 'Twilight' in gray letters from the shoulder down to the bottom rim of the hoody (purchased that in 9th grade), and a light pink robe.

I entered the bathroom and shrugged off my pajamas. I then stepped into the shower and turned the water on maximum. After a thirty minute long shower, I stepped out and quickly dried my body off. Once that was done, I changed into some undergarments and then into a short sleeved, form fitting black shirt. The sleeves went to my elbows; a picture of a glowing blue fairy was on the front. Small silver beads that sparkled in the sunlight were supposed to be water droplets that she was catching her hand. _Got this from Hot Topic in high school_. I thought as I slipped on a pair of denim blue jeans. I slipped on a pair of white socks and walked out of the bathroom. On my way past my closet I slipped on a pair of black t-shoes while grabbing my 'Twilight' hoody off of the back of my door and slipped it on. Once my hoody was zipped, I went back to the bathroom and began to dry my short, dark brown hair.

My dark blue irises stared at my reflection. Sometimes I felt like what I was seeing was a lie. It was like looking at myself with a mask on. I always wondered why it thought that way about my appearance; but I just did, naturally. I had short dark brown hair, a pale complexion, dark blue eyes, and freckles. Once I finished using the straightner and brushing my teeth, I slipped on a silver pendant and left the bathroom. I passed through my bedroom and found myself in the living room.

The living room was one of the first things one saw as they enter. There was a decent sized television set that was up against the wall, a love-seat sat across from that, a chair was to the right of the love-set, and a desk with a computer was up against the wall that was to the far right of the whole room. I did not have a table; I dined at the love-seat (what is the point of trying to look good at dinner-time when the only people I invited was my friends and family but only on occasion). My phone was on the wall next to the television. I kept both my PS2 and my PS3 on either side of the television. All of my games were stashed away in the drawers of my desk (amongst other things). A bookshelf that was filled with all of my favorite novels, manga, anime/other DVDs, was somewhere between my love-seat and the window that was placed next to it.

The front door was across from the open doorway to my kitchen, which was a decent size. The counters were made or dark brown wood and black counter-tops that were, yet again, made of some hard substance that I could not name. The refrigerator was black and was filled with food. Several cabinets lined the walls above the counters; they were filled with plates, cups, cooking utensils, spices, and the like (the drawers were filled with some cooking utensils and silver-ware). And, to my relief, there was a black _dishwasher_. The very machine I had not gotten to use since I was in elementary (first dishwasher broke and was never replaced, much to my dismay). I had to restrain myself from hugging the landowner when I first saw it (although I do not think he would have minded if I hugged him or not). A stove/oven sat across from the dishwasher, between two counters. The floor was made of some kind of artificially made stone. Beyond the kitchen was my bathroom; all it had was a counter-top, a sink, a bath-tube/shower, a toilet, toilet-paper, a hair-dryer, a few brushes, tooth-paste, a tooth-brush, and a garbage can. The closet that I kept extra supplies in (such as extra toilet paper, the kitchen-garbage-can, extra paper-towels, towels, extra hand-soap, est.…) was in the area between the kitchen and the bathroom. My pantry (the one with the dryer and washer) was right across from that little closet.

I made a right turn and went into the kitchen. I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, held it under some cold water for a minute front of the sink, and began slowly nibbling at it. I loved apples. I could have sworn that I had an addiction to them. I glanced at the clock; _9:45_, _better get going_. I thought as I walked towards the front door. I shouted good-bye to Samuel before exiting my humble abode and coming face-to-face with…Jennifer. "Eep!" I squeaked in surprise.

"Good-morning, Mai!" my friend said in an overly cheerful voice.

I sighed, "Morning, Jennifer." Jennifer was one of my closest friends. She and I had been friends since eighth grade. She was at least two inches shorter than myself (I was 5'3''). She had long dirty blonde hair that she kept tied back in a pony tail, a tan, and light green eyes. She was twenty-three years old. Jennifer wore a loose-fitting, hot-pink, short sleeved shirt, denim blue jeans, and black slip-on-type shoes. Needless to say, she was more girlie than myself. I had always been a bit of tomboy.

"C'mon, let's go!" Jennifer said in her usual cheery tone.

"Jen-chan, its too early in the morning to be super happy." I told her as I locked my front door and followed her down the driveway. The two of us took to the sidewalk. The college that we attended was not that far from my apartment complex; Jennifer often drove to my home and waited for me and then we would walk together to the college campus. Jennifer began freaking out (as usual) about a test that she forgot to study. I quietly listened while finishing the delicious red apple that was resting my palm. Once I was done with, it threw it to the ground. Who knows, maybe a stray animal may eat it.

I was about to try and calm my friend down when suddenly someone bumped into me. "Ah!" I tripped. I braced myself as I began to fall towards the ground. But a pair of strong arms caught me and hauled me back up. I looked at my savior; it was a man. But not just any man, an extremely handsome man.

"I'm sorry, Miss." The man said in a calm voice.

I stared at him in awe, "Uh…its okay." He had to be the most handsome man that I had ever laid eyes on. He appeared to be in his late twenties. He had long light blue hair that was lazily tied back by a white tie; the right side of his long bangs hang down freely while the other side was tied back with the rest of his hair. He also had a light complexion and bright green eyes. His ears also caught my attention. They were round; but the very top was pointed…like an elf. He wore a white button-down dress-shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. I felt someone shaking me. I looked at the owner of the hand that was on my shoulder; Jennifer.

"C'mon Mai, or we'll be late." Jennifer insisted.

"Mai? A very beautiful name for an equally beautiful woman." The man said with a soft smile.

I blushed, "Uh…thank-you."

"May I have your full name?" the man asked.

For some reason, I felt compelled to tell him my name. So I did. "Keira Maria Rosewood." I said automatically. _Why am I telling a complete stranger my name_?

He reached down and captured my palm in his, "Exquisite. May I?" he asked as he lowered his head and kissed the back of my hand. This made me blush harder. Jennifer was blushing too. "You may call me Yuan."

"U-uh…" I stuttered, "s-sorry, but I need to get to class. See'ya!" I said before tearing my hand away and taking off down the sidewalk. Jennifer followed me. I came to stop directly in front of the school campus. I held the hand that that man kissed close to myself, panting because of the long run. _W-who…w-who was that guy_? I wondered. _Duh, he said his name was Yuan_. Inner Mai said as if it were obvious. _Shut-up_. I told my inner self. It took me a moment to realize that I was arguing with myself. _I should really stop doing that_. I thought.

"Mai!" Jennifer called, "Mai, are you okay? Who was that guy?"

I shrugged, "He said his name was Yuan."

"Do you know him?" she asked.

I shook my head, "No."

She sighed, "He was probably some creep who likes to flirt with random girls. I bet he tripped you on purpose." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "But he was hot." Jennifer said with a goofy smile.

I giggled at my friend. A sudden thought struck me. "Hey, Jennifer. What day is it?"

"November 6, why?" the blonde asked.

I snapped my fingers, "I need to call Mary." I said while pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. I quickly dialed the number and waited. A few seconds later I heard a familiar voice. "_Hello_?" a woman asked. "Happy Birthday, Mary-chan!" I called into the phone.

"_Mai-chan_!" an excited voice squealed. Today was another of my childhood friend's birthday. Mary. She and I had been friends since eighth grade. Mary was now twenty-four. She had long dirty blonde hair that she kept tied back, a darker tan than Jennifer, and light brown eyes. At the time she was the lead singer for her new band; Twilight. She was on tour. "_Finally you called! Rachel, Kristi, Michel, Jaclyn, and Zack already called me this morning_." Mary said; I could tell that she was smiling. Most of the people she named were also my friends.

Rachel was another friend of mine; since seventh grade. She had long dark brown hair, a tan as dark as Mary's (maybe a little lighter), and dark brown eyes. Kristi and I established our friendship near the end of eighth grade. She had medium length blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a light skin tone. Michel was her boyfriend. Jaclyn and I had been friends since second grade. She was the shortest our group (4'11''). She had short blonde hair with brown streaks (she originally had brown hair but she died it), dark brown eyes, and a tan. Zack was Mary's boyfriend. Even after high school, we promised to keep in touch with each other. _That reminds me, I should check my email when I get home_. I thought as Jennifer and I entered the school…

I sighed as Jennifer and I walked back to my apartment from the school. Today had been another long, and tiresome day. Jennifer got a C+ on her test while I just did homework (we were taking different classes). Jennifer was once again talking about a boy that she had a crush on. I laughed, "Jen-chan, you sound like some love-sick high-school girl."

"I can't help it!" she whined, "I wonder if I should ask him out."

"If you like him than tell him." I said.

"But what if he doesn't like me!" Jennifer said frantically.

I shrugged and muttered, "Dunno."

"Excuse me." a familiar voice called. We turned around. That man from earlier, Yuan, was walking towards us. "Miss Rosewood, was it? May I speak with you?"

I quirked an eye-brow, "Why?"

"I just need a word. It won't be long." Yuan said as he walked towards me. He stopped directly in front of me, a soft smile on his handsome face.

I felt the instinct to run; slowly I backed away, "Uh…how 'bout no." I said.

One of his hands lunged forward and caught my wrist. This earned him a kick between the legs. Yuan screamed in pain and fell to the ground while Jennifer and I took off running. "Jen-chan, go to your house, we need to split up!" I ordered. She hesitated for a moment before nodding and running off.

_Now I'm on my own_. I thought as I ran. I noticed two police. Both male. "Hey!" I called. They both looked at me. "I need help, some guy just tried to attack me." Or I assumed that he did.

"Where is he?" one of the police asked.

"Over there." I pointed in the direction that I came from. "Follow me, I'll take you to-HUM!!!" I was cut off when a hand covered my mouth. I managed to turn my head in time to see that both of the 'policemen' were restraining me! _What the hell_?! I thought. I struggled to break free, but to no avail. To my dismay, Yuan came limping into view. He looked angry. **_Well you just kicked his lucky charms, I'm sure he's pain_.** Inner Mai said casually. I bit the man's hand and glared at them fiercely, "What's the meaning of this?!"

"Your coming with us." One of them said with a wide grin.

"We'll see about that!" I said as I jerked upwards and head-butted the man. Once he was disoriented, I broke free from his grip and took off running. I stopped when a lightning bolt came crashing down in front of me. When the static cleared, I saw Yuan standing in front of me, holding some kind of Polearm. "Oh crud." I muttered as I saw the blade in his had.

"Your coming with us; conscious or not." Yuan said in a threatening tone. My entire body was riddled with fear as I turned and took off running towards an ally. It took me a moment to realize that I was running towards a dead end. _Shit_! I thought as I jerked around. Too late. Yuan was walking towards me, Polearm in hand. The blue haired man walked towards me, a menacing smile on his face. _Shit_! I thought as I backed away from him. _No-way…no-way…no-way… _I could feel something burning my collar bone. I flinched and looking inside of my shirt. My pendant was glowing. I watched in shock as it melted into my collar bone. Suddenly, it felt as though I was being shocked by lightning. A white light engulfed my entire body; blocking my view of Yuan's shocked face. My throat began to close as I began to suffocate. I chocked and gasped; air did not come. It felt as though I was being shoved into a tube; my entire body was sore. _Shit_… I thought as black spots filled my vision. And soon, darkness devoured my very being…

**There's chapter one. Please R&R. Hoped you liked it. Until next time. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank-you for reviewing! Sorry if this chapter is a little boring. It has more talk and little to no action. But the story will be more interesting in later chapters. I decided to get most of the talking done in this chapter so that you all won't have to suffer through it in too many chapters. So, without further adieu… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Tales **_**series or any of its characters.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 2: Sylvarant**

"_Art is magic delivered from_

_The lie of being truth_."

-Theodor Adorno

The forest was as peaceful as ever. Only small rabbits, large wolves, and hawks made any noise. Large, dark green leaf bearing trees loomed over the grass-covered forest floor. Random flowers and bushes grew from the ground; adding more variety to the scenery. A dirt road winded from the small village of Iselia, through Iselia Forest, and into the mountains. The mountains were the same as the forest; only with rockier terrain and colder climates. Of course, the edge between the forest and the mountains was different. It had been touched by man. One way one would notice this is because there was a small, two-story wooden house that had been built in that spot.

The house was made of wood, was somewhat small, and had at least two floors. There were logs placed against the foot of the home for the fireplace (which was inside). There were not many decorations outside (actually, it was void of any decorations). The one thing about this house that would catch a person's eye is the backyard. There was a small path that led from the front door to the very back. If one followed the path, they would come face-to-face with a grave. Like the forest, the house was peaceful. Until…

"LLOYD IRVING!!!! WAKE-UP OR YOU'LL BE LATE 'FER SCHOOL!!!" a deep, male voice bellowed from the basement of the house. The man of the house, Dirk Irving, had spent a majority of the morning working on his latest project. A sword. He planned to sell it at Iselia later. Dirk was different from most men. One reason was because, unlike most people in the village; he was a dwarf. Literally. The people of the village did not disrespect the man. But they did find it odd that he was raising a _human _boy. It was obvious that he adopted him.

Dirk had just cooled off the metal of the sword that he had been crafting before deciding that it was best to wake Lloyd, his adopted son, up himself. The brown bearded dwarf grumbled something about 'lazy teenagers' as he stomped up to the second floor. He punched the first door he came to open with his fist. There, in the small room, he could see the object of his irritation still sleeping in his bed. "LLOYD!!!" Dirk bellowed.

A loud snort came from Lloyd's mouth as he 'gracefully' fell out of bed and landed on his face. The teenager groggily lifted his face up and stared at his father. "Ngwah?" he muttered; he was not conscious enough to form coherent sentences.

"Get up m'boy before 'yer late 'fer school!" Dirk said in an irritated voice. Lloyd nodded lazily before laying his head back to the floor. Sadly, his father was not as stupid as he thought he was. "Lloyd!" he snapped. The boy quickly looked at him again.

"S-sorry, Dad." Lloyd said as he slowly hauled himself to his feet. "I'll get dressed right away." He yawned. Dirk groaned as he left his son's room; it would be best to give him privacy while he got ready. Lloyd released another yawn and stretched his limbs.

_Ugh, and to think that I was having a good dream too_… Lloyd thought. The seventeen year old walked towards his closet and pulled out a random outfit and slipped it on. His clothes consisted of a bright red, long sleeved, wool shirt with several silver buttons. He quickly slipped on a pair of black overalls that only went to mid-stomach; the straps were made of brown leather. He slipped his feet into a pair of bright red leather boots and clasped them shut; and then he placed a pair of bright red wool gloves on his hands. His left glove had a golden crest attached to it with a dark lavender orb mounted on the top. He quickly wrapped a white bandage around his palm so that the orb was hidden. Next he tied a white, cloth scarf around his neck. Last he grabbed two, sheathed dual blades and tied them to the two belts on his hips.

Lloyd walked to the mirror that he kept to the far left of his messy bedroom (there was dirty laundry all over the floor, amongst other things) and grabbed a brush. He quickly brushed his hair so that it spiked the way he wanted it to. Lloyd appeared to be around seventeen years old. He had short, spiky dark brown hair and dark brown eyes that had a red tint. "'K, I'm ready." Lloyd muttered to himself as he ran out the door. The now hyper teenager stomped down the wooden stairs and practically flew out the front door.

His father, Dirk, was carrying some logs into the house as Lloyd passed. "Bye, Dad!" the seventeen year old called as he dashed down the dirt path and into the woods. Dirk waved to his son. Lloyd was soon accompanied by a large, canine like creature. It was bigger than a wolf but it had dog-like characteristics. The dog-creature was covered in pale blue fur. A long teal strip of fur went down his fluffy tail, vanished, and then reappeared again at the tip. His neck was surrounded by teal colored fur; as were the top of its thighs. "Hey there, Noishe." Lloyd said while beaming at his canine friend.

Noishe barked and playfully licked his master's face. Lloyd laughed and eventually convinced Noishe to back down. The teenager groaned as he looked at the winding path ahead. "It's a long way to the village." He muttered, "And I'm too tired to walk _all _the way there." He looked at the wolf-like creature next to him. It took Lloyd a moment before a light bulb appeared over his head. Lloyd snapped his fingers and smiled, "Hey Noishe, is it okay if I ride your back?"

Noishe stared at him for a moment, almost as if it were thinking, and then eventually it moved so that Lloyd could climb on its back. "Thanks buddy." The brunette smiled as he gratefully climbed onto his companion's back. As soon as he was on the dog's back, Noishe took off in a dead sprint towards Iselia Village. Lloyd smiled as the wind caressed his scalp. No matter how many times he rode his pet's back, he would never get over the adrenaline that it caused. The feeling of flying through the air was so exciting to him. He also enjoyed watching the scenery pass him by.

Lloyd's reddish brown eyes scanned the forest; paying attention to every detail. His sight-seeing ceased when he noticed something that was out of place. He squinted his eyes as Noishe went bounding towards something that was lying on the ground ahead of them. As soon as the dog flew over the object, he got a good look. _A girl_? The brunette thought. He tugged on Noishe's fur, signaling for him to stop. Lloyd leapt off of his pet's back and ran to the girl he saw lying on the dirt path. He came to a stop when he was a few inches from her. Lloyd knelt down next to her so that he could examine her a little better.

The first thing he noticed; she was obviously not a _girl_. She was a full grown woman. She was around his teacher's age. Also, she looked a little…different than any woman he was used to seeing. One thing that made her stick out like a sore thumb was her hair. She had medium length hair that was in a style similar to his teacher's, only it was a little more straight (not as much style). Plus, her hair was _pure_ _white_. There were only two people who were in their youths that he knew had white hair. His teacher and his best friend. Actually his friend's hair was silver; but that's beside the point. _They only have unnatural hair colors because their elves_. Unlike his Teacher's hair though, she had slightly faded pink highlights in her hair. It was actually a nice blend and sort of reminded him of an Ayame flower. She had extremely pale skin. _I think she's albino_. Lloyd thought to himself. Her clothes were very strange. Her pants were made some kind of rough, dark blue material. Her shirt was extremely baggy and appeared to be made of…cloth? Her shoes also looked a little odd.

Lloyd stood up and unsheathed one of his swords. He pointed the sharp end of the blade and slowly pressed it against her back. He made sure not to harm her. She did not move. He poked her again with the sword. Once again, there was no reaction. Lloyd continued to poke the woman while muttered, "Jeez, I hope she's not dead." Lloyd soon regretted ever saying that sentence.

For those appeared to be the words that had the power to resurrect the seemingly deceased woman. Poor boy never saw it coming. As soon as he poked the corpse for the tenth time, it jerked around, grabbed the blade from his hand and began beating him with the end of the sword that had the handle. "AH!" Lloyd cried out as he fell to ground and covered his head. "NO! PLEASE STOP!!!" he begged. _Note to self: never poke dead bodies with swords. They'll come back to life as zombies and start beating me with 'em_!

The zombie stopped beating him with the blunt end of the blade and stared at him. Lloyd peeked at his attacker. She was standing over him, slouched slightly, and staring down at him with a dazed look in her eyes. The sword fell to ground and after a moment her eyes cleared up and actually focused on her target…

_All I could do was run. Run far away from the dark shadow that was chasing me. I screamed for help; but no one came. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I continued to call for help. It seemed as though all hope had been lost. The shadow that was going to catch me. There was nothing I could do. Suddenly, a figure appeared before me. I gazed up at it in surprise. It was a man. I could not see his face; his back was turned to me. But what I could see was a dark purple cloak and short, spiked auburn colored hair. I opened my mouth to call to him, but my voice was called. I moved my legs and tried to run to him, but I was frozen in one spot. _

_Fear gripped my heart as a dark presence appeared behind me. Slowly I turned around and threw my fists at the darkness_… "NO! PLEASE STOP!!!" a voice begged. I glared furiously at my attacker. The darkness around me slowly began to clear. I could feel something in my hands. Something red appeared in my vision. I groaned and dropped whatever I had been holding when a migraine attacked my head. "Ow…" I groaned as my body swayed back and forth. Suddenly my knees buckled and I fell backwards. My body stopped in mid-fall when a pair of arms wrapped around my torso.

"Hey! Are you okay?" a male voice asked.

I slowly cracked my eyes open so that I could see who was talking. It was a boy. A teenager, from the looks of it. "Huh?" I muttered and instinctively I pulled away from his arms. The black spots in my eyes cleared so that I could take in the boy's full appearance. He had a very odd fashion sense. He wore mostly red and black and had short, spiky dark brown hair with dark brown eyes that had a reddish tint. "Who're you?" I asked in a suspicious tone. I noticed the sword that was lying by his feet. Quickly I lunged for it, only to have his foot stomp on it and pull it away.

"Hey!" the boy snapped, "Calm down! I'm not trying to hurt you!"

Now that I looked at him closely, I realized that he had _two _swords. I glared at him, "And why should I trust you?! You're armed!"

The boy looked at his weapons and sighed. He picked up the blade off of the ground and sheathed it. He then grabbed the other blade and threw it and its twin to the ground. "There," he said in a calm voice, "I'm not armed. Now will you calm down? I'm just trying to help you."

I glared at the boy for a moment before relaxing. I sighed as I sat down on the ground and looked up at him. He stared down at me. I patted the ground in front of myself. He got the message and sat down in front of me. "Who are you?" I asked calmly.

"Lloyd Irving." The boy replied. "You?"

"Mai Rosewood." I replied. I glanced around at my surroundings. For some reason, I was in a forest. _That's odd_. I thought. _Just a few moments ago I was in New York City_…_where am I_? I wondered. "Where am I?" I asked.

"Iselia Forest." Lloyd replied while raising a dark brown eye-brow.

My expression changed from suspicious to confused. "But that can't be right! I was just in New York a few moments ago!"

Lloyd gave me an odd look, "New York? What's that?" My eyes widened and my jaw grew slack. _He doesn't know what New York is_? _Its one of the major capitals of the United States_! I thought in disbelief. Lloyd seemed to realize something, "You don't know where you are, do you?"

My eye-brow twitched. _Wow…it took him THAT long to figure it out_? _The kid must be a genius_. I thought sarcastically. "That's impossible. How can I end up in a forest when just a few seconds ago I was in a huge city? And how on Earth do you not know what New York is? Its one of the main capital cities of the United States!" I said as if it were common knowledge. And where I came from, it was.

Lloyd just stared at me with a confused expression. "Earth? New York? …United States?"

If it were possible, my jaw would have hit the ground. "You're kidding me!" I said as I stood up. "You honestly don't even know what the United States is? And why're you so confused about me saying 'Earth'? You're not trying to say that you don't even know what planet you live on is called?"

"Um…from where I come from we call this place Sylvarant. Not Earth. And what's a United States? Is that a city?" the brunette asked.

My eye-brow twitched again and I growled and threw my arms up in aggravation. "I don't believe this! I'm talking to an imbecile!" I yelled to no-one in particular.

Lloyd glared at me, "Hey! I'm not stupid! You're the one who's stupid!"

I glared back at him, "At least I _know _what planet I live on!" Suddenly my knees buckled again and gave way. I yelped as my body went tumbling backwards towards the ground. Lloyd leapt up from the ground and caught me before I collided with the hard earth beneath us. Lloyd opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes focused on something other than me. "What is it n-AAH!" I cried out in mid-sentence as Lloyd dropped me and lunged towards the ground. I rubbed the back of my sore head and glared at the teenager. I managed to haul myself up while he was busy staring at something and whacked him in the back of the head with my fist.

"What the hell was that for?!" I hissed.

"OW!" Lloyd whined while stroking his sore cranium. He decided to ignore it and instead shoved whatever was important enough that he had to drop me in order to get in my face. It was a small white orb with a pale pink tint. I stared at it. "Where'd you get this?" he asked. I stared at it for a moment before noticing the silver chain that hung from the back. I squeaked and tried to snatch it from his hand. But Lloyd jerked the necklace from my hands and held it away from me. I tried to get it from his hands but sadly, he was too tall. _He must be at his adult height or something. _I thought as I glared up at the teenager.

"Give my necklace back!" I ordered.

"Necklace? You don't know what this is?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

I gave him a weird look, "Uh, yeah, I do. It's called a necklace."

The brunette shook his head. "Nope. This is an Exsphere."

That stopped me in my tracks. "An Ex-what?" I asked.

"An Exsphere." The boy repeated. He gave me an odd look, "You're telling me that you have an Exsphere and you don't even know it?" Honestly, I had nothing to reply with. _Maybe he is crazy_. I thought. I decided to remain silent as he examined the 'Exsphere'.

After a moment he nodded his head, "Yup. Definitely an Exsphere."

I raised an eye-brow, "What makes you think that this is an 'Exsphere'?"

"'Cause I have one too." Lloyd said as he removed the bandages that had been around his hand. He showed me the orb that he had attached to his glove. His was dark blue. _He's right_, I thought, _both of the spheres look exactly alike. Although they differ in color_. A sudden thought struck me. _Then…was he right…about everything else, too_? "But it doesn't seem like you have a Key Crest." Lloyd analyzed.

"What?" I asked.

"A Key Crest. It's this golden mount that my Exsphere is sitting on." I could tell that Lloyd was about to go into a long explanation. "An Exsphere can be used in battle or simply to just enhance your physical abilities. And in order to use one, it has to be attached to your body. But it's dangerous to attach an Exsphere directly to the skin. So, you need to have a Key Crest to mount it on. _Then _you can use the Exsphere." The brunette explained. "If you want, I could ask my dad to make one for you. Dwarves specialize in making Key Crests."

I stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Uh…sure, why not?"

"Also…I have a question."

"What?"

"Are you an Elf?"

I simply stared at Lloyd as if he had grown a second head. Finally I found my voice again. "Uh…do I look short to you?"

"Well, I wanted to know that because of your hair. And your eyes. They're a little…weird." Lloyd said.

"Weird?" I asked. I arched my right eye-brow, "What's wrong with my hair? It's practically the same color as yours. And I thought that blue was a normal eye color."

Now Lloyd was looking at me as if _I _had grown two heads. "Uh…Mai. Your hair is white. And you have pink highlights. And your eyes aren't blue. They're pink."

I glared at him, "Okay Lloyd, you maybe right about most of the stuff that you said. But I _know _what I look like. Believe me, I looked in a mirror this morning!" I paused for a moment. "And what makes you think that I'm an elf?"

Lloyd sighed and reached down towards the ground. I watched as he grabbed one of his swords and unsheathed it. He rubbed one of his gloves on the blade and then held it out to me. I reached out and took the sword from his hand. It was a little light and was obviously easy to handle. The blade was also very clean; I could see my reflection. And once again; Lloyd spoke the truth. My hair was a little longer; and instead of being dark brown, it was pure white. There were pale pink highlights mixed in. It was actually a nice blend. Instead of being those weird looking pink highlights that stuck out of one's hair like a sore thumb, they appeared natural and were not bright. They were faded and were there just to help add some flavor to my hair. My eyes, like Lloyd said, were pink. They were a darker shade than the barley noticeable highlights in my hair; but they were not too bright. Also, my freckles were gone and my skin was slightly…paler. _No-way_… I thought as I gazed at myself in the blade. His other question on whether I was an Elf or not began to bother me. I gulped as I pressed my shaking hands against my hair and slowly pulled it out of my way. There they were. Both ears were rounded like normal human ears. But near the top they were pointed. Like Elf ears.

It took all of my mental strength not to faint. _Okay…so he's been right about a lot of things. So…if he's been right…does that mean…I'm not on Earth? And that New York doesn't exist? Neither does the U.S._? I wondered. _Okay Mai, don't panic! Just calm down and take deep breathes. Traversing between different worlds is very…very…normal_. I tried to lie to myself to calm down; but it wasn't working.

"Hmmm…" Lloyd said as if he was deep in thought, "maybe I should take you to Professor Raine. She might be able to help."

"Professor…Raine?" I asked in a quiet voice.

Lloyd smiled, "Yeah. She's an Elf, too. She might be able to give you some advice." Before I had a chance to reply, the seventeen year old turned around and whistled at the dirt path ahead of us. Everything was quiet for a moment; but a few seconds later some large and blue came flying out of the woods. My eyes widened in surprise at the sight of it. _Wow…that's the biggest and weirdest looking dog I've ever seen_! I thought. It appeared to be in the canine family. But a few physical features made it look…odd. It was light blue with patches of teal. Not to mention it was bigger than any breed of dog or wolf that I had ever seen. _Of course Lloyd already established that this isn't Earth. So I guess weird animals are to be expected_. I thought as I watched Lloyd loving stroke the canine's head.

The teenager climbed onto its back and then offered his hand. "Wanna ride?" he asked. I hesitated for a moment; but I decided that it would be best to cooperate and take his hand. Lloyd was surprisingly strong for a teenager. He was able to lift me onto the back of his 'noble steed' without putting forth very much effort. As soon as I was secured on the beast's back; the large dog took off running down the path at the speed of light! I had to wrap my arms around Lloyd's waist to avoid falling off of the back of the wolf or whatever it was. I closed my eyes and hide my face in Lloyd's back; _okay…I'm ready for the ride to be over now_! "Noishe! Run faster!" I heard Lloyd say.

My eyes shot open, "NO-AWAAAH!!!" I screamed as the large dog-like creature picked up the pace…


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Tales **_**series.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my own OCs and plot twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 3: Him**

"_Love does not begin and end the way we_

_Think it does. _

_Love is a battle, love is a war…_

_Love is growing up_."

-James A. Baldwin

By the time Noishe arrived at the village gates and I was safely on the ground; my legs felt like jelly. "Ugh…" I groaned as I stumbled off of the large dog-creature. Lloyd hoped down as if he were used to this sort of thing. My stomach churned like a hurricane. _Eh…the last that I moved that fast I was riding a ride at the State Fair_. I thought as I sat on the ground and put my head between my legs. "What're you doing?" I heard Lloyd ask.

I glared up at him, "I feel sick." I said dryly.

Lloyd chuckled, "Sorry. C'mon, you can sit when we get to the school." I felt like punching him in the nose. _He better not laugh at me again_. I thought as I forced myself to my legs and followed the teenager into the village.

When Lloyd said that we were going to a village; he meant it! _Wow_… I looked around at the small village surrounding us. It had dirt roads instead of concrete roads. And the houses were all made of wood and stone; possibly some straw was added into the mix too. There was not even a hint of technology. And for some reason; that made me happy. This place seemed so much more peaceful than the world that I was used to. The air tasted cleaner, too. There were small shops and homes surrounding Lloyd and I as we walked through the village. Noishe was ordered to wait outside; something told me that he was not aloud in here.

It did not take long for Lloyd and I cross the entire village. Eventually we came to a small wooden building near the 'back door' of the village. _I wonder where that road leads_. I thought as I passed the back road and followed Lloyd into the building. The brunette led me down a long hall. He stopped at the door, "Wait here." He said before entering the room that lay ahead. "Professor!" I heard him call. What happened next nearly scared me half to death. The next I saw was Lloyd flying backwards with stool against his forehead. And then I heard someone screaming, "YOU'RE LATE!!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" at the top of their lungs.

I shook slightly as I stepped away from the door. _Uhh…I don't think I want to stand too close_. I thought. An angry looking woman came into view. She grabbed Lloyd by the front of his shirt and began shaking him at nearly fifty miles per hour! _Is that even possible_? I wondered while trembling in fear. "I-I'm s-sORry PROfESser! B-but SOME-one needed MY hELP!!" he stuttered.

The woman stopped shaking him and gave him a dull look, "Honestly Lloyd, do you expect me to believe that?" Obviously, she did not believe him.

"Actually yes." I heard myself say. I slapped my hands over my eyes and shrunk back down towards the floor. _WHY DID I OPEN MY MOUTH_?! _**Cause your stupid**_? Inner Mai suggested. I ignored her. The woman looked at me and then dropped Lloyd to the floor.

"Who're you?" she asked.

"Um…I'm Mai Rosewood." I said nervously.

The woman smiled and walked up to me. She held her hand out to me. After a moments pause, I took her hand. We both shook as she said, "I am Professor Raine Sage." Raine appeared to be around my age. At least twenty-three years old, maybe a little older. She had medium length, white hair with a light complexion, and light blue eyes. She wore a loose fitting, long-sleeved, white shirt and long orange over-coat with long-sleeves and black lining. Her legs were covered by loose fitting black pants; her footwear consisted of short, white boots. The sides of the boots were long and sort of spiked. Her hair had a little more style to than mine did as well. Raine stared at me for a moment before turning to Lloyd, "So, you were helping this woman?" she asked.

Lloyd nodded, "Yup. I was wondering if you could talk to her. She seems a little…" he paused to look at me "confused."

Raine nodded, "Understood." She then looked at me. "Please, Miss Rosewood, would you come with me?" I nodded and followed the white haired woman down the hall. She glanced around before speaking. "Where are you from?" she asked.

"Earth- America- the United States- and the city of New York." I explained. Raine just stared at me as if I had grown three heads and a tail. I sighed; _okay, so obviously that was not the best thing to say_. _**No duh, Sherlock**_. My Inner Self said in a smart tone. _Shut-up_. I thought.

"It seems like you came from distant lands." Raine said finally. "Do you know how you got here?" I shook my head. She stared at me closely for a moment. Finally she spoke again. "Alright…I have one more question." I focused entirely on her. "Are you a half-elf?"

I was about to answer, but I was stumped. Apparently, I looked like an Elf. But why did she ask me if I was a _Half-Elf_? I shrugged. Raine smiled softly, "It's okay to tell me the truth. I won't turn on you." She lifted up her hair so that I could see ears. They looked just like mine. "I'm a Half-Elf too. And so is my younger brother." She paused a moment. "I can tell that you are a half-elf. I just wanted to make sure." She appeared worried.

Something about her words troubled me, "Turn on me? Why would you turn on me for being a half-elf?" _I'll just say I'm a half-elf until I get some real answers_.

Raine was shocked. She was speechless for a moment. When she found her voice again, she spoke; "You don't know?" was all she could ask.

"Don't know what?"

"In Sylvarant, Half-Elves are persecuted and despised by other races." Raine explained. "My brother, Genis, and I have only been getting by because I told everyone here that we were full Elves."

"Why are Half-Elves persecuted?"

Raine shrugged, "I'm not sure. The hate for us half-elves has been going for centuries." She looked at me. "Please, for all of our sakes, tell the others that you are a full Elf." I could tell from the look in her eyes that this was very important to her. I nodded. "Thank-you." She sighed in relief. "Okay," she began again, "I'll need to speak with the Mayor about you. We need to try and understand a little more, okay?" I nodded.

Raine turned away from me and began heading back to the other room, "Do you know anything about Sylvarant's history?" I shook my head. She smiled, "Then I think one class session won't hurt, will it?"

I sighed, "Guess not." _Great…its history class all over again. Of course it might be a little interesting this time_. I thought as followed the Professor to her classroom. I could not help but smile when I saw the class. It was just like those old classrooms I saw in 'Little House the Prairie'. There were wooden desks (most are), the entire room was made of wood, and old fashion chalk board was at the front of the room, and I could see Raine's desk was near the front too. There were also two windows, too. Kids from ages twelve through eighteen were in the room. I noticed Lloyd standing at a desk with a young girl and a little boy. I decided to go say to them.

"Hey, Lloyd." I waved.

The excited brunette turned towards me and smiled, "Hey, Mai! I'd like you to meet some people!" he said enthusiastically.

I smiled, "Okay." _He reminds me of a small child…of how I was like as a teenager_. My teenage-hood seemed so far away now. Being an adult was rough.

Lloyd extended a hand to the girl who was sitting at the desk. "This is my friend, Colette."

The girl stood up and we shook hands. "Greetings, my name is Colette Brunel." She said with a wide smile. Colette appeared to be around the age of sixteen; a year younger than Lloyd. She had long blonde hair and light blue eyes. She wore a baggy, long-sleeved white shirt with light blue trim. Her shoulders were covered with a white jacket-like accessory that had light blue trim as well. Her legs were covered by black, form fitting pants and she wore short, white boots with blue trim at the top on her feet.

"It's nice to meet you, Colette. I am Mai Rosewood." _How many times am I going to have to say that_? I wondered. I noticed a young boy appear in my peripheral vision.

"And I am Genis Sage." The boy beamed up at me. _Sage_? I looked at him closely. He appeared to be around twelve years old. He had medium/long hair. The back was short while the sides were semi-long. His hair was white was a little silver mixed in. He also had light blue eyes and a pale complexion. _Is this Raine's little brother_? I wondered. **_Uh, yeah. That's why they look alike, genius._** Inner Mai said in a sarcastic tone. I ignored her. Genis wore a medium-length-sleeved, black shirt with a short sleeved light blue jacket over it. The over-shirt had white lining. His legs were covered by light blue shorts with white lining near the bottom. He was also wearing a pair of black leggings that extended a little further to his knees. His feet were covered by black shoes with a light blue front.

I smiled, "I'm Mai Rosewood. It's a pleasure meeting all of you."

"Lloyd was telling us all about you." Colette said with a wide smile. "You sound really cool."

I blinked. _Cool_? _Me_? For some reason, I smiled at that. _It's been a while since I've heard someone call me that_. I chuckled mentally.

_**Nu-uh. Your friends called you cool**_. Inner Mai argued.

_It's been a while. Now go away_! I hissed to myself. "Alright everyone, sit down!" I heard Raine call. I smiled at kids, "Sorry guys, but class is starting. You all need to get to work. I'll be sitting near the front of the room." And with that I turned and walked away. I pulled up a seat near Raine's desk and sat down. _Time to get a lesson about Sylvarant_. I thought as the Professor began class…

By mid way through, I had enough information that my brain felt like it was going to burst. Apparently, they were studying about some hero named Mithos; who lived four thousand years ago. He saved the world or something. And they seemed to worship a goddess that goes by the name of Martel. And apparently, every few generations, some person called the 'Chosen One' is born. They're job is to save the world by regenerating it when some strange race of Desians appear and began attacking it. Raine pointed out that Colette was current Chosen One. I was surprised by this. _She looks like any other teenage girl_. I thought. Eventually my short attention span got the better of me and I began to doze off. I woke again when a bright light flashed in the room. It was so bright that it blinded me even when my eyes were _closed_! I had to wrap my arms around my hand to avoid being permanently blinded. When the light cleared, I removed my hands and glanced around the classroom. Raine stared out the window for a few moments. Soon, she stood up and walked towards the door. "Stay here." She ordered the class. "Colette, the Priests and I will come to retrieve you when the time comes."

Colette nodded, "Understood." Raine left the room right after the teenager's reply. I stood up from my seat and walked over to Colette. _Since she's the Chosen, and it appears that that light has something to do with her, then I'll ask her_. I thought as I approached the blonde. "Colette." I called quietly. She looked at me; her light blue orbs were wide with curiosity. "What's happening?"

"The Oracle is coming." Colette replied. "This is the day that I might become a true Chosen." She lowered her eyes slightly. For some reason, her smile appeared to be fake in my eyes.

"You mean today's your special day?" I screamed as the voice appeared next to me. I jerked around saw Lloyd standing next to me. I felt like slapping him. _Ugh…I hate it when people pop up like that_! I thought. _**Why're you so jumpy**_? Inner Mai asked. I narrowed my eyes. _'Cause I am_. _**That's not a real answer**_. She taunted; I could tell that if she were real, she would be smirking. Lloyd looked thoughtful before a devious smirk appeared on his face. "Hey! Let's go to the temple!" he suggested. Colette and I stared at him as if he had grown two heads.

"No-way!" I heard Genis's voice argue. "You heard what Raine said!" he reminded his immature (and older) friend. "But…" the brunette tried to interrupt but the white haired boy would not hear of it. "And besides; you know just as well as I do that Raine'll kill both of us if we disobey her."

Lloyd was quiet for a moment. He began looking around the room until his eyes rested on me. He reached out and grabbed my arm. "Hey...!" I protested. But the eldest teenager interrupted me, "We'll just say that we were with a trusted adult!" He said with a broad smile as he led me towards the door.

I tried to tug my arm free; but to no avail. So I decided to whine his ears off. "And what if said 'trusted adult' does not decide to participate in this little adventure to wherever the heck we're going?" I asked in one breath; I made sure that it was obvious that I was annoyed.

Lloyd stopped, turned towards me, and made a puppy-face. "Please!" he begged, "I wanna go!"

"No." I said firmly while crossing my arms. "Raine told you guys to stay here."

"She told _us_, as in her students, to stay here. Not _you_." Lloyd corrected. "And besides…how old are you?" My eyebrow twitched.

Before anyone knew what had happened; my fist launched forward and socked Lloyd in the jaw. "_That _is the kind of question that a guy should _never _ask a woman!" I hissed. Lloyd shrugged off my attack and looked at me as if he expected an answer. I sighed, "Twenty-four."

"See! You're a year older than Raine! That means you're her elder which means you have more authority than her!" Lloyd said with a broad smile.

"Yes but you are _Raine's _students. Not mine. That means she has authority and responsibility for you." I explained in a calm voice, "It's not my call."

Lloyd grunted in an annoyed tone before turning away. "Fine. But I'm going no matter what you say." He looked at Colette, "You com'in?"

Colette smiled and nodded, "Yes." She said before running over to her friend's side. My eye twitched. _Do these kids not have any regard for the rules_? _**No**_. Inner Mai said bluntly. _No-one asked you_. I muttered in my head.

I heard a sigh from behind me. Genis walked past me and joined his friends. "I guess I should come too. Just to keep you in line, Lloyd." He said with a soft smile. Lloyd nodded to the younger male and the three turned away from me and walked out the door. I sighed; _someone should go and make sure they don't get hurt_. And before I even registered it, my legs were carrying me out the door and after the trio…

The village had changed dramatically in the last few hours. It was a ghost town; all of the villagers were locked away inside of their homes and stores. _Hmm…something doesn't feel…right_? I looked around. There was a strange sensation on my skin. The air was a lot thicker than before. It was as if I were surrounded by a thin mist, almost. _What the_…? Lloyd, Colette, and Genis were heading towards the back entrance of the village. "Wait!" I called. The three looked at me. "I'm coming." I said as soon as I was close enough to talk in my normal voice.

Lloyd smiled broadly, "Cool!"

I looked up at where a bright light was. It appeared to be hovering over a temple of some sort. _For some reason…I feel like I am…supposed to go there_. I thought.

"C'mon." Lloyd said. The four of us began walking towards the 'back door' of the village. We came to an abrupt halt when one of my greatest fears appeared. A zombie. The living corpse of a dead person. My eye twitched and I let out a loud whimper. The zombie groaned and began limping towards us. I screamed and slowly began backing away from the undead creature. _Great! Its Resident Evil all over again_! I thought while shaking in fear. Lloyd unsheathed both of his swords and ran at the zombie. He hacked it in half without putting forth very much effort. "MAKE SURE YOU CUT ITS HEAD OFF!!!!" I screamed. Lloyd stared at me for a moment before shrugging and slicing the zombie's head off. "Good." I sighed in relief. _Everyone always forgets to attack the most important thing on a zombie…its HEAD! They always aim for the chest for some reason_. I thought. I looked at Genis, "Hey, you guys never said that zombies existed here."

Genis laughed nervously, "Well, I assumed that you thought they did since everyone knows that."

I sighed, "Not in my world they don't."

"C'mon!" Lloyd said before turning away and running down the road. Colette, Genis, and I followed him…

We barley ran into any trouble on our way to the temple. Save for a starving wolf or two. Lloyd made quick work of them. Eventually we arrived at our destination; a long set of wooden stairs led up a large dirt hill to what appeared to be an ancient stone temple. The Church of Martel. All four of us were surprised to see the corpse of the head pastor lying at the end of stairs; blood was still seeping from his wounds. "Pastor!" Colette gasped; she covered her mouth and tried to force the tears back.

Lloyd walked over to the deceased Pastor and knelt down next to him. He stared at the body for a moment before standing up again. "Those wounds were caused by a sword." He looked up towards the temple. "Something's wrong." The clang of two swords colliding against each other confirmed his statement.

"What's going on up there?" Genis asked in a worried tone.

"That's what I want to know." I murmured as I moved towards the steps. _I have a bad feeling about this_. I thought. _**Be careful Mai**_! Inner Mai warned, _**something's up there**_! _Yeah I can tell_. I told myself. _Man, I really need to quit talking to myself_. I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. I turned towards the owner; Lloyd. "Where're you going?" he asked. "To the top of the hill, of course." I said. I yanked my wrist free and began climbing up the stairs. "You don't have to come if you don't want to." I added.

"I'm coming." Colette's voice said from behind me. I turned towards the younger female. She had a look of determination in her light blue eyes. "It is my duty as the Chosen of Sylvarant." She said in stern voice. I nodded and she ran towards me. Lloyd and Genis stared at us for a moment before shrugging and following us up the stairs…

It only took a few seconds for the four of us to climb up the stairs. We came to an abrupt halt at the top; the sight before us was not as surprising as I thought it was going to be. There were wounded and dead bodies of priests lying on the ground; all of which were bleeding through their wounds. These wounds had been sustained via sword. There was also an old woman and group of armed men too. The men wore red and black uniforms with white helmets on their heads. There was one armed male who stood out. He turned towards as soon as he heard our approach. "Hm?" he looked at each of us. "Is the Chosen among you?"

"Wouldn't _you _like to know!" Lloyd snarled.

"I am." Colette said firmly. Genis, Lloyd, and I all sweat-dropped at this. I walked up to the younger female and patted her shoulder. "Uh…Colette, I think _telling _him was a bad idea." I suggested. She thought this over for a second before speaking again; "Ya'know, I think your right." This caused everyone, including the armed men, to sweat-drop.

I glanced at the men who were attacking the temple. They were obviously dangerous and I doubt that they came to help benefit the Chosen. I stood in front of the teenager and glared at who I assumed was the leader. "Who are you?" I asked in a monotone voice.

"I am Lord Botta. I have come to take the Chosen's life." The man said with a cocky smirk.

My eyes softened so that I was staring at him as if he were an idiot; "Your not going to monologue like other villains I've seen, are you, Beavis?"

Botta's eye twitched, "That's _Lord Botta _to _you_!" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Whatever, Brad." I muttered in a bored tone. A tic appeared on _Lord Botta's _forehead and his right eye twitched again. "Why do you want to kill Colette?" I asked in a serious tone.

"That is none of your business." Botta said. His angry expression changed as he began to look me up and down. "Are you…an Elf? Or…" he did not finish his sentence. He smirked at me. _Shit…he knows what I am_! Of course, he did not seem that different from myself. Botta appeared be in his mid to late thirties. He had short, spiky black hair, a black goatee, and dark brown eyes. He wore a pale gray robe with a dark green/blue leather belt tied around his waist. He had one sleeve that poofed out around his arm; the other sleeve was noticeably absent. His feet were covered by metal-clad boots. He also wore a large, bright red and black broadsword on his back. He obviously had a holster of some kind to hold it up. What made me think that he was the same was that fact that his ears were pointed; like mine. Plus, there was something about him that told me that he was not that different.

"You're a half-elf, right?" I asked Botta.

He nodded, "Yes."

"I see." I said as I moved into a fighting pose. _Good thing I learned about taiquando a few years ago_. I thought as I moved into the proper pose.

Botta threw his head back and laughed, "What is that? Are you planning on fighting us with your bare hands?"

"Yeah! What of it?" I hissed. "There's no way that I'm going to let you harm an innocent child!" The sound of footsteps caught my attention. I turned to see Lloyd standing next to me; both of his blades were drawn and he was ready fight. I smirked; _good choice, kid_. Two more sets of footsteps caught my attention. I turned to see Colette and Genis standing next to me; their own weapons were drawn. Colette was holding a pair of Chakrams; which was a pair of blades that are round. Genis was holding a kendema; which is a paddle-ball of some kind. I raised my eye brow at the boy's weapon. "Don't underestimate me." Genis said with a cocky grin.

I shrugged and turned back towards our opponents. _I wonder what he's going to do with that_. _**You honestly don't know**_? _**Jeez, I've been trapped in here for years and even I know what he's going to do**_. Inner Mai. I made a weird face; _wait a minute, you and I are the same person. How on Earth-er-Sylvarant, how could you know what he's doing_? I asked myself.

_**You honestly don't remember**_? Inner Mai asked. I mentally shook my head. She chuckled and sighed, _**you must have short-term memory loss or something. Of course it might explain why you stopped talking to me several years ago. And here I thought that you hated me**_…_**even after I saved your life**_. She said.

I arched an eye-brow; _uh…what're you-or, I should I say am I, talking about_? I asked myself. _**You'll know soon enough. Pay attention to the upcoming fight. If it gets too rough, I'll intervene**_. Inner Mai said before becoming silent once more.

I decided that my inner self was right. So I quickly tuned in to the conversation. "…damn Desians! There is no way in hell that I'll let you kill Colette!" Lloyd snarled.

"Desians?" one of Botta's subordinates laughed. "Well them, die at the hands of the Desians that you hate so dearly." With that, a group of four armed men charged at us. Botta stood back. Lloyd ran at the one in the front and swing his swords at him. The man parried his attack and slashed at Lloyd's hip. The teenager yelped in pain but did not let up as he hacked and slashed at his opponent. The other three went for us.

Genis began swinging the ball that was connected to his kendema in the air. A glowing red seal appeared under the twelve year old's body as he chanted, "_**Fire Ball**_!" a wave of fire erupted from his kendema and engulfed one of the Desians. _So he's a spell caster_. I thought. Colette tossed one of her Chakrams at one of the oncoming Desians. It sliced though one of the attacker's body as if he were hot butter. Blood splattered on the ground and the man's body while he cried out in pain. His partner ran at me. I moved back before his sword could hit me and punched him in the jaw. The man stumbled backwards slightly but then came at me again.

"_**Demon Fang**_!" Lloyd cried as he jerked around. Silver lights shot from one of his swords and sliced through the Desian that was attacking me. The man screamed as the light hacked through his body and fell to the ground. I was stood there, stunned. It took me a moment to collect myself. Soon all of the Desians that attacked were defeated. That left Botta and his last two subordinates.

"Damn…" Botta muttered under his breath. He turned towards the temple entrance. "Vidarr!" he called. Our next opponent caused our confused to dissolve shortly after entering the ring.

"Shit." Lloyd and I said simultaneously. The next Desian was bigger than a gorilla. He had to be nearly ten feet! Maybe taller! He was also very muscular wore old, brown tattered clothes and armor. He also hadn't shaved in days. Maybe weeks. And he stunk; badly. He was also carrying a giant, spiked mace that was attached to a chain.

"Do not get in the way of our cause!" Vidarr shouted before swinging his gigantic at Lloyd and I. Both of us screamed like little girls while just barley dodging the Jolly Green Giant's attack. "_**Demon Fang**_!" Lloyd cried as he swung his blades at the enemy. They did not do very much damage. "Ah crud!" the teenager muttered before dodging another attack. I began running back and forth when Vidarr began attacking me. _Aw crap, I'm gonna die_. I thought as I dodged another swing.

"Kill the Chosen!" Botta ordered. Vidarr nodded and then swung his weapon at Colette. The young girl screamed in terror before being tackled to the ground by Lloyd. The mace snapped Lloyd's arm; thus breaking it. "GAAAA!!!" the brunette screamed in pain.

"Lloyd! Colette!" I cried. My maternal instincts would not let me stand by while two kids were killed. Genis tried to cast a spell by the giant man smacked the boy, sending him flying. He was half-way unconscious as a result. "Genis!" tears began to flow down my cheeks. My eyes narrowed and, without thinking, I ran at the monster of a man. "Leave them alone you bastard!" I snarled. _**Use your power**_. Inner Mai instructed. I could feel the air surrounding me. Without thinking I pushed the energy in my body to both of my hands and extended out towards the enemy. "_**Stalagmite**_!" I chanted. A large storm of rocks tore away from the ground and smashed into the giant oaf. The man cried out in pain, but was able to regain his balance.

I stumbled to the ground however. I felt so drained. _That used way too much energy_. _**Well, you not used to casting spells. Don't worry, you'll get used to it eventually. I'll help you**_. Inner Mai said in a reassuring tone. _**Shit! He's coming again**_! She warned. I wearily looked up at the gigantic man as he came stomping towards me. "Crap…" I whimpered as he held the mace above my tired body. I closed my eyes and awaited the inevitable. "MAI!!!" Lloyd, Genis, and Colette screamed. A loud clang filled the air. _Clang? _I opened my eyes and glanced up. There was a person standing, or should I say kneeling, in front of me. A man to be more specific. The man kneeling in front of me had his back turned to me, so I could not see his face. Yet his back was very familiar. _But how_? I wondered.

He grunted as he shoved the enemy's blade back and caused him to stumble a little. Everyone stared at him in awe (including myself). Lloyd grabbed one of his swords with his good arm and prepared to stand up. But the newcomer held an arm out to him. "Don't move." He ordered in a deep, yet not too deep, voice. "He's too strong for you."

Lloyd glared at him, "No he's not!" he argued like a five year old. I rolled my eyes. The man ignored him and turned his attention to Vidarr.

"You wanna die too, punk?!" Vidarr growled before charging at the man. The newcomer leapt at him and, with his sword raised, sliced Vidarr's arm off. Blood splattered on the ground around and on the man's severed arm and the owner of said arm screamed in agony. The strange man then jerked around (while still in mid air) and stabbed the man directly through the heart. Vidarr's body spazzed for a moment before falling to the ground. The man landed on the ground next to the body and removed his sword. He used a rag to clean the blood off of the blade.

My stomach churned as I stared at the bloody mess with wide eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen someone die in such a brutal fashion in real life. Colette sighed in relief and turned her full attention to Lloyd. "Are you okay?" she asked in a worried tone.

Lloyd flinched as his arm throbbed violently, "Yeah." He lied.

_**Heal him**_. Inner Mai ordered. _How do you know whether_… I tried to think. _**Don't ask questions, just do it**_. I sighed and walked over to the kids. "Lloyd, show me your arm." I said. The brunette held his broke limb to me. I placed both hands on and concentrated my energy into my palms. _**Wait! Don't use that energy! You'll blow his arm clear off! Use positive energy! **_Inner Mai hissed. _Okay, sorry_. I thought to myself. I was still ticked about recent events. I quickly buried that anger and calmed down. Carefully, I forced positive energy to flow through my hands. "_**Recover**_." I whispered. A white light flowed from my palm and into the seventeen year old's injured arm. After a moment, Lloyd began to move his arm. It was mended!

I smiled and whispered, "I did it." in astonishment. _**Told 'ya could do it**_. Inner Mai said in a proud tone. Instead of scolding her, I laughed mentally. _Now for the newcomer. _I thought as I turned towards the stranger…

**Oh man; a cliffy. And no, if anyone is wondering, Mai is not crazy. There's more to "Inner Mai" than what meets the eye. Chapter 4 will be coming soon. **


	5. Chapter 5

**If anyone has any quotes that they would like to see then please leave them in Reviews. Also, Tanali, thank-you for reviewing. This chapter is probably going to be a little boring but I promise that Mai will be apart of the battles more often. Last chapter she had did not have a weapon and just learned about magic. She's not acquainted with fighting styles that revolve around weapons. And I promise not to follow the game perfectly. There will be changes and stuff; to make things interesting. **

**In this chapter, I had a major writer's block so it follows the game pretty closely. But after this chapie I won't be following the game closely. Anyone who played the game will, hopefully, notice the changes (other than my OC). This chapter could be considered a filler. Personally, I consider this chapter and last chapter as tutorials for Mai to learn how to fight. Also I'm referring to Mai as Keira now, and Inner Mai as just Mai. If you get confused about names then check back to the prologue and read the summary. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**game. **

**CLAIMER: But I do own my OCs and plotline twists. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 4: Oracle **

"_Music washes away from the soul_

_The dust of everyday life_."

-Berthold Auerbach

I turned towards the strange man that saved us from Vidarr and walked over to him. I extended a hand and smiled, "Thank-you." I said. He reached out and shook my hand. Colette ran up to my side and gave him a polite bow, "Thank-you, kind sir, for saving me." The man gave us both a curt nod. An annoyed huff in the background told me that Lloyd was not as grateful as the rest of us were. A low groan of pain caught my attention. I turned around saw Genis limping towards us. "Oh my…Genis!" I ran towards the boy and placed my hands on his shoulders. "Hold on, I'll heal you right now."

"Thanks." The twelve year old said. I concentrated my positive energy into my hands and then released it. "_**Recover**_." His wounds healed exactly like Lloyd's. Genis nodded his head and smiled up at me.

"You bastard." A low voice growled. We all turned our heads in the direction of the owner. Botta was glaring daggers at us. "I'll get you for this!"

Once again, I stared at him as if he wore a moron. "Yeah, whatever Butch."

A tic appeared on his forehead and the entire right side of his face twitched, "THAT'S BOTTA! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I GOT _YOUR _NAME WRONG?!" He practically screamed at me.

I held my finger up and moved it from side to side, "Temper temper." I reminded him. Botta was about to say something else but stopped when he noticed the stranger walking towards him; his sword ready for action. Botta leapt away and stood with his remaining subordinates.

"Don't worry, we'll return for the Chosen later!" he said before vanishing in thin air.

I sighed and stood up and put my hands on my hips, "Well, that was a total waste of time." I said. I looked at the stranger. _I should probably get his name. Dangit…why does he seem so familiar_? I wondered. I walked up to the man and was about to ask his name when I noticed some blood trickling down his arm. _That Jolly Green Giant's mace must've nicked his arm_. I thought as wrapped my hands around the wound. The man flinched at my touch, but quickly relaxed. Once again, I created a white light that went inside of his wound and closed it. "There. All better." I said with a proud smile.

"Thank-you." The man said in a deep voice.

I smiled, "No problem." A sigh caught our attention. We all glanced in the owner's direction. The old woman from before had an irritated look on her face. "Something wrong?" I asked.

"Yes." She said. "The Chosen needs to go see the Oracle. But the priests who were to accompany her were killed by the Desians."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Finally, the stranger spoke up "So, this woman is the Chosen?" he asked as he looked at me. I just gave him a wide-eyed stare.

The old woman shook her head, "No. Colette is the Chosen." The man glanced around our group. Said blonde raised her hand to gain his attention.

The man nodded, "If you want, I will accept the duty of watching over the Chosen." He said. "My name is Kratos Aurion; a wandering mercenary. I will guard the Chosen as long as you are willing to pay me." The man said to the elderly woman. _Kratos Aurion, huh_. I thought while staring at the mercenary. Kratos was definitely a handsome man; no doubt about that. He appeared to be around twenty-eight years old. He had medium length, slightly spiked/messy auburn colored hair and dark brown eyes with a red tint. He wore a sleeveless, form-fitting dark purple shirt with a white collar and lavender lining around the rims. His shoulders and majority of his neck was covered by a long, two layered dark purple cape with lavender lining the rims. They reminded me of wings. He wore two lavender colored belts around his stomach and hips and dark purple, form fitting pants. His leg were covered by white boots that had lavender straps near the top; the area of the boots that covered his feet were covered with metal and were a dark gray. From the mid-upper arms and down to his wrists he wore, cloth, dark purple form fitting gauntlets. The tops of the gauntlets were white. His hands were covered by finger-less lavender gloves; the part of the gloves that covered his wrists were white. Last he had a sword sheath tied to his waist; the sword was currently inside of its sheath.

The old woman sighed and looked at Kratos, "Fine. You may guard the Chosen."

"I wanna come, too!" Lloyd said while raising his hand.

The old woman sweat dropped, "Um, I would be a little uncomfortable if you went."

"Please!" the teenager begged.

"Yes, please." Colette asked.

The old woman sighed, "Fine. If the Chosen desires it then Lloyd can go."

"I'm coming, too!" Genis said excitedly. I remained silent. _Should I go_? I wondered. I turned towards the others (I was staring at my feet a few seconds ago) and jumped when I noticed Kratos staring at me.

"Uh…what?" I asked.

"It would be best if you came as well." he said. "You are obviously a talented healer. No doubt we will be facing enemies inside of the temple. Bringing a healer would be a good idea." He explained.

I nodded, "Okay. I'll come." I was about to walk along with Kratos into the temple when an idea struck me. "Ya'know, an introduction might be in order." Kratos nodded his head in agreement. He waited for me to speak again. _Guess I'm first_. "My name is Mai Rosewood." I said.

The auburn-haired male stared at me for a moment before speaking, "I would like your full name, please."

I arched my eye-brow, "How could you tell that that wasn't my full name?"

"I couldn't. You just told me." He said, his face was stoic and unreadable.

My eye twitched. _That's the oldest trick in the book and I fell for it_! "Alright. My full name is Keria Maria Rosewood. But I would prefer for you to either call me Keira or Mai." Kratos nodded.

"And I'm Lloyd Irving!" the brunette said proudly.

"Lloyd?" I heard Kratos mutter silently. He nodded at the teenager and then looked at Colette.

"I am Colette Brunel, the Chosen One of Sylvarant." The blonde said while giving a polite bow. Kratos nodded at her and then looked down at Genis.

"And I'm Genis Sage." The silver haired boy said with a broad smile. Kratos nodded at him before turning away and walking towards the door. "I'm really excited! I'll get to see what the temple looks like!" Genis said with a grin.

"And we'll get to fight some monsters, too!" Lloyd added.

"This isn't a field trip." Kratos reminded them. Lloyd glared at him. I sighed as I followed the mercenary into the temple; _something tells me that this is going to be a LONG day_. _**Yeah, no kidding**_. Mai agreed…

The inside of the temple was obviously not neglected that much. But for some reason it was dark, cold, and a little creepy. There were not many cobwebs; so must have cleaned it multiple times. The inside was made of stone that was a dark gray color. When one enters the first room; they come to a cross road of three paths. One doing towards the right, one to the left, and the last to the north. "This place is kinda creepy." Genis said; he looked nervous. I felt the same way. For some reason, I felt safe around Kratos so I stayed close to him. He did not question me nor did he seem to notice.

"I'm not scared of this old place." Lloyd said in a cocky tone, "I can defeat anything that we run into." Almost as soon as he said that, a low moan came from behind us; causing Lloyd and Genis to shriek like little girls. I jerked around; there was zombie slowly approaching us. I barley whimpered before a purple flash ran by and hacked the zombie in half. I sighed in relief; _thank goodness Kratos is here_. I thought as the mercenary rejoined my side. "Stay on guard." He said before walking towards the northern door.

When we approached the northern path we were disappointed to find a door of some kind in the way. "Crap." Lloyd muttered. He looked at Colette, "Which way now?"

"It looks like there is a key somewhere." Kratos said before Colette had a chance to answer her friend. He turned away from the door and moved towards the fork. "We'll have to search the temple." He glanced at both directions before turning towards Colette. "Which way should we go, Chosen?"

Colette stared at him for a moment and then shrugged. _Maybe I should add my two cents_. I thought as I walked towards Kratos. "Maybe we should split up?" I suggested. Kratos's red-brown eyes locked with my light pink irises. "One group would go down one direction while the other group would go down the other. That way there is a better chance that when we meet up back here, at least one group _might _have the key." I explained.

Kratos seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. "Yes, that would be a good idea. Alright; Lloyd and Genis will go left. Kairi, The Chosen, and I shall go right. Deal?" Everyone nodded before approaching their partner(s) and going down their respective hallways. It did not take long for Kratos, Colette, and I to reach a set of stone stairs. "Be on guard." Kratos said before descending down the stairs…

The next room we entered was a long, dark hallway. It was cold like the upstairs had been. The three of us moved through the stone corridor in a short line. Kratos was in the front, Colette was in the middle, and I was in the back. The most we ran into was one or two zombies. Kratos made quick work of them. Eventually we came to a large room. A set of stairs led down to a giant platform that hung in the air. Another set of stairs led to a stone trail that was beneath the platform. But I noticed that some of the stone blocks were missing while I was walking down the stairs. _Looks like there used to be three_. I thought. I looked at the platform again. There were three blocks resting on the stone platform. _Three? Hmmm_… I had a feeling that those three blocks went into the three gaps. There were also three holes that we could push them into.

Immediately after stepping onto the platform I approached one of the blocks and examined it. It was large; bigger than myself or Kratos. It was also made of brown rock. I turned towards the other two, "Hey guys! Maybe pushing these rocks through the holes and into the gaps below are the key to getting to wherever that bridge leads."

Kratos nodded and pointed behind me, "That might be where our key lies." He added. The auburn-haired male walked towards me and pressed both hands on the rock. I smiled triumphantly. Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and jerked me backwards. I glanced up; Kratos was holding me away from the block with his sword raised.

"What?" I asked before looking at the rock. I got my answer. The rock trembled for a moment before unfolding into a large golem! I sighed and muttered, "Crud…" _Great, its Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones all over again_. I extended my hand forward and began to force the negative energy into my palm. "_**Stalagmite**_!" I cried. Once again, another barrage of rocks broke from the platform and slammed into the golem. It did not do as much damage to this creature as it did Vidarr. _Maybe using rock against rock isn't a good idea_. I thought. Like before, I felt tired. _**Maybe you should resort to ice and water related magic**_? Inner Mai suggested. _Why_? I asked mentally. _**Because I'm ice-based, duh. And because of certain circumstances, your magic and mine are connected. So your ice based magic should be really powerful 'cause of me**_. Inner Mai said.

_Whatever_. I thought. While Kratos exchanged blows with the beast and Colette threw her Chakrams at the golem; I prepared to use another spell. _**I'll help you with a spell**_. Inner Mai said. I nodded my head and began concentrating the negative energy into my palm. Once the spell was ready, I allowed Inner Mai to take over. "_**Freeze Lancer**_!" I cried. Giant spikes made of ice burst from the ground and impaled the unsuspecting golem. The creature released one loud roar before reverting back into a cube. "Phew…" I sighed while rubbing the sweat from my brow.

"You are very talented when using magic." Kratos turned towards me. I blushed at the compliment. "Are you teaching the boy?" I gave him an odd look. "He relies on magic as well. Are you his teacher?"

I shook my head, "No. In fact, I just met him today." _Heck, I didn't even know that I COULD use magic until today. _"I just learned that magic existed today, actually." I said before I could stop the words. I blushed while slapping my hand over my mouth. _WHY DID I SAY THAT_?! Kratos stared at me for a moment before turning away and pushing the rock down one of the holes. A loud scream filled the air. Both the mercenary and I turned to find Colette being smacked across the platform by TWO golems. "Shoot!" I hissed and ran towards the injured teenager. Kratos unsheathed his sword and sped towards the golems. I knelt down next to the blonde and placed my hands on her shoulders, "I'll heal you." I promised before closing my eyes. I concentrated the positive energy into my palms and then released it in the form of a white light. All of her wounds healed in an instant.

"Thank-you." Colette smiled softly.

I smiled and gave her a curt nod, "No problem." _Now to help Kratos_. I thought while standing up. I held my hands in front of myself and concentrated the negative energy into my palms. _Okay…and…now_! "_**Freeze Lancer**_!" I called. Once again, a barrage of spikes burst from the ground and impaled the helpless golems. While they were immobilized, Kratos leapt into the air and sliced one of the stone-creature's head off. That one reverted back into a cube. The other swung its fist at the mercenary but he dodged it with ease and hacked into its chest. _**Use another spell**_. Inner Mai ordered. I nodded and once again concentrated the negative energy. "_**Ice Tornado**_!" I cried. A freezing cold wind began to swirl around in the room. Soon a group of icicles appeared and began impaling the Golem. Kratos ran up to the distracted monster and landed the finishing blow.

Kratos nodded at me; it seemed as though he was saying 'good job' or something. I blushed again. Kratos quickly pushed all of the cubes into their respective holes before heading towards the stairs. We were about to walk down the stairs when a sound caught our attention. All three of us glanced upwards; a small part of the ceiling was moving. I squinted; the part of the ceiling that had been moving broke apart and turned into another golem. Only this time the golem looked like a dragon! "Shoot." I muttered as the dragon descended upon us. I aimed another spell at it, "_**Aqua Laser**_!" like the cantation says; a laser made of water shot from my hand and plummeted into the dragon's chest. It knocked it backwards a few feet but it came back at us.

Kratos unsheathed his sword and ran towards Colette and I. It took me a moment to realize that the dragon was heading the two of _us_! "Ah crap, COLETTE RUN!!!" I screamed and began running backwards. I aimed another spell at the beast while I was running. "_**Air Thrust**_!" a large spear made of wind flew at the creature and knocked it back. But that wasn't enough. Colette began throwing her Chakrams at the dragon-golem. All of which deflected off of the creature's body and flew back at her. The Chosen had to dodge the rings as they landed on the ground where she had been standing. Once the dragon was close enough to the ground; Kratos leapt up onto its back and began stabbing its neck. "Thanks!" I called to the purple clad mercenary. _**Try a powerful fire spell. It may use a lot of energy but it will be worth it**_. My inner self suggested. I nodded and prepared for another spell. _**I'll help you again**_. The name of the spell flashed in my mind and once again I released the energy. "_**Eruption**_!" I called. Kratos leapt off of the dragon before a large hurricane of fire engulfed its body. When the raging fire dispersed, I saw that it did some damage but not enough. _Crap… _I thought. A loud bang caught everyone's attention. We all turned in the direction that we believed the key was in.

Standing right next to the key was Lloyd and Genis. There was also a hole behind them. The brunette stared at the pedestal that held the key for a moment before grabbing it and looking at us. He smiled and waved the key in the air, "You guys! I found it!" The three of us sweat-dropped.

"Yeah, we can tell!" I called back.

He gave us a stupid look, "What's going on?"

"We're having a tea party!" I answered in a sarcastic tone, "What's it look like?!"

Kratos groaned in aggravation and held his sword up; preparing for another attack. The dragon flew at him and chanted "_**Fierce Demon Fang**_!!!" A wave of white blades erupted from his sword and sliced into the creature's body. The dragon cried out in pain but id not let up on its attack. Kratos tried to dodge its razor sharp talons but was too late. The claws sliced into his chest. I watched in horror as blood splattered to the ground from Kratos's body. A sudden anger flared in my chest and I ran at the monster. A spell appeared in my mind while I concentrated the energy into my palms. "Take this you asshole!" I hissed while leaping into the air so that I was hovering directly in front of the creature's face. "_**Grand Cross**_!!!" A glowing, white cross exploded from my hands and wrapped around the golem. Within seconds the golem exploded; destroying it. The light disappeared and the creature was no more.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips and whipped the sweat from my brow. I looked down at everyone and smiled. "You guys okay?" They were all staring at me in awe (for once an expression appeared on Kratos's face other than aggravation). "What?" I asked. Lloyd, who was now on the platform with Genis and Colette by his side, gestured to his back and pointed up at me. I arched my eye brow, "What are you…" I stopped in mid question. Realization dawned on me. _Why am I looking DOWN on them_? _Shouldn't I be looking STRAIGHT at them while standing on the ground. And why was Lloyd pointing at his back_? I decided to take the hint and look behind myself. I was shocked at what I saw.

There were two, large, silver wings protruding from my shoulder blades. The wings were glowing so that they appeared to be pure white; but if they weren't glowing then they would be silver. I just stared at them as if they were the most amazing thing I had ever laid eyes on. And they were! Suddenly I felt my strength evaporate and found myself falling out of the air and into a pair of strong arms. I looked up into Kratos's handsome face. The thought of being in the arms of a man made me blush. I could feel liquid seeping out of his chest. _That's right, Kratos was injured_. I placed a hand against his chest; he flinched again but relaxed soon after. "_**Recover**_." I murmured. His wound closed and blood stopped flowing into the outside world. That used up the last of my strength. My head fell back and my arm rested against my torso. "Crap." I muttered. I smiled up at the auburn-haired mercenary; "Guess I used too much energy, huh?"

He smiled lightly, "Yes. But you can rest now. I'll carry you the rest of the way." He paused for a moment. "And thank-you, for healing me." he added as an afterthought. Kratos walked towards Lloyd with me in his arms and looked at his palm. "Lloyd, show me the key."

The brunette nodded and held up his hand for all to see. There was a little silver ring resting on his palm with a red gem at the top. "That's the key?" Genis asked.

"It has magical properties." I said. They looked at me. "I noticed that the energy that I felt coming from the light at the top of the temple was the same as the energy I use when I am executing a spell. The same energy is coming from that ring." I explained.

Kratos nodded, "There is no doubt that you possess Elvan ancestry." He looked down at Genis. "Can you feel it?"

The silver haired boy thought about it before nodding his head, "Yes."

Colette clapped her hands together and smiled, "Now we can get through that door!" she announced happily. We decided to pretend that we did not already know that.

"Come." Kratos said while ascending up the stairs; I yawned and carefully allowed my head to rest against his chest. He did not appear to mind so I closed my eyes and prepared for a power nap…

Kratos walked carefully while he carried Keira in his arms. The soft snores below his chin told him that she had fallen asleep. While he and the others walked back to the gate; he thought about what Kairi had done. In a fit of rage, she accidentally summoned a pair of angel wings. That was an incredible feat. The only ones who had wings were Angels and the Chosen (after unlocking the first Seal they came across). That was the proof that he needed in order to confirm who this woman was. Those wings resembled the wings that _she _once possessed. Her mana signature was unbelievably close, too. _Just like the Chosen_. Kratos thought as he cradled the young woman in his arms.

He thought back to when he caught her. And after she openly admitted that she used too much energy. He actually _smiled_. That was something that he had not done in a long time. Although they looked different; they're personalities were alike. He actually…enjoyed…Keira's company. Her facial expressions and mannerisms reminded him of _her_. Her very attitude was the same. That is why he felt the need to protect her; and to carry her. _But there's something else_. Kratos thought as he approached the gate. _There is something else about her that draws me to her_. He came to an abrupt halt.

The red clad teenager ran up next to him and screamed, "WE MADE IT!!!" as loud as he could.

A groan from behind his head told Kratos that Keira was waking from her power nap…

A loud scream from that annoying teenager told me that we were at our desired destination. I opened my pink irises and glared at the seventeen year old; "Lloyd, stop talking so loud. I'm trying to sleep here." I groaned and then closed my eyes. I opened them again and looked at the door; I was curious to see what was going to happen.

Lloyd held his hand up towards the hole. A small stream of fire spilled from the gem and into the hole. The door disappeared in a bright burning flame. Now we were staring at a small, empty room. "Is that it?" Lloyd asked.

"No." Kratos said as he moved towards the center of the room. As soon as he was still, I felt the sensation of being dunked inside of water. I was about to panic when the sensation vanished. I was confused when I saw that Kratos and I were in a completely different room. We were now standing in a small room that had a pedestal in the center and three windows that revealed the beautiful blue sky. Within seconds, Lloyd, Genis, and Colette appeared next to us. I stared at them and then around the room; _did we…just…teleport_? I wondered.

"Chosen." Kratos called. The blonde nodded and approached the pedestal. She placed both hands together and began to whisper a silent prayer. Soon, a bright light filled the room. The light slowly molded into a human shape before a man suddenly appeared before us. A pair of white, feathery angel wings sprouted from his back. The man appeared to be in his thirties. He had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His head was also covered by a large, dark green hat. His body was covered by dark green and light green robes that had gold lining on the rims.

"I am Remiel," he said "An Angel of Cruxis, here to guide Colette, Daughter of the Mana Lineage, on her journey to heaven as the next Chosen." He said upon entering the room. "The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel, who sleeps at the center of the world." A white light descended from his hand and pressed into Colette's neck. A golden, form fitting, golden necklace appeared with a red crystal in the center. "From this moment, Colette becomes the Chosen of Regeneration. We of Cruxis bless this event. And hereby" he gestured to the left window "bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant!"

I glanced out of the window. Outside, there was a giant stone tower growing from the ground and extending into the skies. _Wow_, I thought, _that is one big tower_. I turned my attention back to that Remiel guy.

"Chosen of Regeneration, Colette! Unlock the Seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to Heaven in distant lands!" His voice sounded very dramatic as he spoke. Almost fake, in my opinion.

Colette smiled and bowed her head in prayer, "As the Chosen, I humbly accept this task."

"Very good." Remiel said with a smile. "We of Cruxis shall grant you the Power of the Angels with each Seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded world shall be Regenerated."

Colette nodded, "Thank-you. I swear on my life that I will Regenerate this world." I narrowed my eyes; _once she becomes an angel? It sounds like they're planning to sacrifice her or something_.

"First, head south, to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land."

"Yes, Lord Remiel."

The angel began to disappear, "We shall meet again at the next seal, Chosen of Mana." And with that he completely vanished.

I continued staring at the spot he once occupied. _I have a bad feeling about this_…

**End. Please R&R. Chapter 5 will be up soon. Farewell for now…**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am very sorry that I have been absent for such a long time. I had other material that needed my attention. I will try to update this as much as I possibly can. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**game or their characters.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OC's and story twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 5: Decision**

"_To imagine is everything_

_To know is nothing at all_."

-Anatole France

Shortly after the meeting with Remiel; Kratos, Colette, Lloyd, Genis, and I all teleported back into the entrance corridor. Lloyd and Genis were happily talking Colette's ears off while Kratos quietly carried me towards the door. "Chosen." He called in a calm tone. Colette looked at him and boys fell silent; they're eyes shows curiosity. "Is there somewhere you need to go?"

The Chosen of Mana nodded, "Yes, actually. I'm supposed to go back to my house. I'll take you there." And with that the sixteen year old joined the auburn-haired wonder and I.

"I wanna come!" Lloyd and Genis shouted excitedly. They both ran towards us… only for a familiar voice to make them skid to a stop.

"Colette? Mai? What're you two doing here? And whose this?" Raine asked as she entered the temple. Both Genis and Lloyd grew wide-eyed.

"This is Mr. Kratos! He helped me get to the Alter. So did Keira." The blonde explained.

Raine stared at her pupil with a perplexed expression, "Keira?"

"That's my real name. 'Mai' is a shorter version of my middle name, Maria," I explained briefly from Kratos's arms. "Seems like everyone wants to call me Keira now."

The Half-Elf nodded, "I see." She looked around the temple with a loving expression and began wandering around the room.

"Uh…Professor?" Colette asked in a confused voice. Kratos and I just stared at her.

"Wow! Look at how old this place is! It must've been built thousands of years ago! I mean just look at all of this!!!" I could practically see the hearts in the white-haired woman's eyes. She continued talking about how old and beautiful the place looked until her light blue irises rested upon Lloyd and Genis; who had been trying to sneak away. The love was replaced with pure rage as she charged at the boys, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU TWO THINK YOUR DOING?!!" she screamed.

Lloyd held his red gloved hands up in surrender, "No wait! Professor! We-GWAH!!" was as far as he got before being punched in the face. Her punch was strong enough to send Lloyd flying into the wall behind Genis. The younger Half-Elf screamed in fear and tried to run away. But sadly Raine caught him, knelt down, put him over her knee, and began spanking him like a mother would a five year old. She then dropped her brother to the ground and turned away from them. "The two of you will return to the school this _instant_!" she hissed in a venomous tone. Lloyd and Genis leapt up, nodded their heads, and then ran away as fast as their legs could go.

Kratos and I just gave Raine a wide eyed stare. Colette sighed and shook her head. The Half-Elf's rage disappeared and was replaced with curiosity as she looked down at Colette. "Are you going back to your house?" she asked. The Chosen nodded. She then looked at Kratos and I. "Who is this? You said Kratos, right?" Colette smiled and nodded her head.

"Kratos Aurion." The red-brown eyed man stated.

She looked at me with a worried expression, "Are you injured?" she asked.

I shook my head, "No. Just tired."

"She is very talented with magic." Kratos added.

"I see." The teacher said; she turned towards the blonde. "Is it okay if she rests at your house?" Colette nodded. "Alright. This way." Once the conversation was over with, Raine led us to Colette's house…

Colette's house was small but cozy. When we knocked, a man in his forties answered the door: Frank Brunel, Colette's father. He led us down a hall and into the living room. There was a couch, a few seats, a table, and a kinds of decorations. Kratos laid me on the couch and then leaned against a wall somewhere. Raine, Colette, and Frank all sat down in a chair. Colette's grandmother, Phaidra, entered the room soon after. It turns out that Phaidra was the old woman that had witnessed the Desian attack on Iselia's church. I closed my eyes as the meeting began…

_A cold blizzard engulfed a small town that was positioned in the horizon. It had been one of the worst storms yet. Nearly six inches of snow! A young girl could be seen trudging through the deep snow; shivering and crying. She was with her sister and her sister's friends a while back. But they played a trick on her and now she was lost in the forest. She was not even sure if her sister even noticed her absence anymore. The small girl had been outside for hours; she was starving. Suddenly her knees buckled under her and she fell to the snow covered ground and began sobbing. She closed her dark blue irises and began to shiver violently. She was not sure if she would ever get home. All she was sure of was that she was going to freeze if she did not get anywhere warm soon. After just a few minutes of lying on the ground, her eyes began to close. Reality was slowly releasing her, allowing her to fade into the darkness…_

_The loud crunching of feet forced her awake. The small girl wearily glanced up; there was a human figure standing over her with a black cloak wrapped around their body. "Hey," a female voice called. "You." The girl did not respond; her vocal chords felt like they were frozen stiff. "Are you alive?" The figure knelt down and placed two cold fingers against her neck. "Just barley. What, cat got your tongue?" they laughed. The figure's smirk disappeared. They just stared down at her for a moment. _

_Finally, they spoke again, "Your different from most kids I've seen." They said with a broad smile. "Too bad that talent will go to waist since 'yer probably going to die soon." The girl remained silent. Another crunching noise was made. Another human figure appeared before the girls eyes. This one appeared taller; yet just as feminine as the other._

"_Please help her." The newcomer said in a soft, motherly tone. The new comer had long light green hair coming out of her dark brown cloak. "In this form there is not much that I can do but stay inside of that Exsphere you carry."_

"_But in order to help her I'll need to make a pact with her. And she has to do that whole fighting thing. Plus I need to cancel my pact with you." The younger female argued. _

_The other figure nodded, "Okay. I will end my pact with you. But please, make an exception for the girl, and make a pact with her. Please." The older woman begged._

_The younger one sighed, "Okay. But just this once, aw'ight? If this pact is ever canceled then I'll be making pacts the old fashioned way, 'kay?" Her partner nodded. The two were silent for a moment before the younger bent down next to the dying child. "Hey kid, I'm gonna make a pact with you so you can live to so tomorrow, that alright with you?" The child nodded wearily. The younger figure stood up and clapped her hands together, "Woot! 'Kay, since you can't talk then I'll just read your mind and see if I like what I see." _

_The girl felt a strange sensation in her head. After a few minutes it disappeared and the elder girl looked at her. "You have a lot of promise." She smiled. "'Kay. Get ready." The black cloaked girl placed a hand on the child's head again and with a giant vanished into her body. A ring replaced where the girl had been standing. The eldest female reached down and slipped the ring onto the child's finger before whispering, "Grow stronger." In her ear and vanishing inside the child's pocket…before the girl fainted again, she noticed that her body was becoming warmer…_

The meeting ended several hours after the Chosen returned from the temple. It was decided so far that Kratos and Raine would accompany Colette. After the meeting, the auburn-haired man took Raine aside to ask her a few questions about Keira (who had fallen asleep hours ago). "She did what?" Raine gasped.

"During a fight with one of the fiends guarding the temple, Keira sprouted a pair of angel wings." The mercenary repeated. "She also mentioned that she just learned that magic existed, and yet she is already capable of using such powerful spells." _She can even use Angelic Magic. That Grand Cross ability… _"Did she mention anything else to you?"

Raine nodded, "Yes. Earlier she mentioned that she had come from a distant land called 'Earth'. She also mentioned that magic and Elves did not exist where she was from. Not to mention her clothes…" her voice trailed off. An idea struck the young professor "Could she possibly be from another world?"

Kratos thought that over for a moment before replying, "That is a possibility. But how did she come here?" Raine gave a light shrug. After a moment, Kratos spoke again. "I think that bringing her on the Journey of Regeneration would be a good idea."

"Why?" Raine asked.

"We might be able to ask the angel that spoke to Colette if he knows about Keira." The red-brown eyed man explained.

Raine nodded, "True." Finally she seemed to fully agree with her next answer. "Yes. Bringing her on the journey just might be a good idea. We'll be able to learn more about her if we talk to the angel." She paused. "But first we must see if she will cooperate."

Kratos gave a light shrug, "I do not see any reason as to why she would not agree. She obviously has no where else to go. If she is as reasonable as I think she is, she will probably say 'yes'." Raine nodded her head in agreement. The decision had been made: they would wake Keira and see if she wanted to go on the journey with them…

I groaned when some strange feeling forced me back into reality. It felt like…like I was rocking back and forth. My light pink irises opened and I looked around. I was in Colette's living room still, and Kratos and Raine were looking at me. The white haired teacher was busy shaking me awake (gently). "What?" I asked in a groggy tone.

"Keira, we need to ask you an important question. We'll give you a minute completely wake up before we ask." Raine explained.

I nodded wearily before stretching my limbs over the leather cough and sitting up. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and forced myself to concentrate. "Okay," I said after a second, "What?"

"Now, you understand that Colette, Kratos, and I are going to leave soon, right?" the professor asked.

I nodded; _I didn't know all three of you were going but I knew for sure that Colette was going_. _But that's beside the point_. "Well," Raine continued, "Kratos and I were wondering if you would like to come."

I arched an eye-brow, "You're asking a complete novice when it comes to battle to go on what I assume is a life threatening journey to save the world?" I asked dryly and in one breath.

Raine stared at me for a moment before nodding, "Um, yes. But there is a reason behind that. One, you can brush up on your fighting skills in the quest. And two is because of your wings."

I gave her an odd look, "My wings?" The memory flooded back into my head. "Oh! My wings!" I quickly thought back to what I had been feeling when I summoned them. I felt detached and angry. But there was another feeling; a sense of need and enlightenment. I recreated those feelings and soon my glowing, white wings were visible for all to see.

"Yes. Those wings are Angel wings. Only the Chosen and Angels should have them. We want to ask the angel that spoke with Colette about why you have your wings. Plus, we might find some clues as to how you came here." The light blue eyed Half-Elf explained.

I thought it over for a second. _Go on a life threatening journey to save the worlds, discover why I have wings and my weird powers, and find a way home. If I survive, that is. But I'm not a fan of running to danger. I'm not sure. _"Can I have some more time to think this through?" I asked. _This is one of this life changing decisions that people have to make…I need to be careful. Unlike those video games I used to play, I won't be able to go back to the last spot I saved at and start over. _Raine nodded. I stood up and walked towards the front door, "I'll be back when I have an answer. I'm just going to walk around for a bit outside. Helps me think." I said; I opened the door and left the house…

The sky was black with a dark blue tint. Silver jewels glittered within the dark sheet. The shards of light were accompanied by a silver sphere. The air was cooler than before. A tired yawn escaped my lips. _Just a few hours ago_, _I was a normal college student_. _But now I'm in some strange world filled with elves and magic_. It was difficult to digest. Traversing between worlds could only happen in movies, books, and video games. I never truly believed that I could teleport to a different world. The biggest surprise was when wings sprouted from my back. Or when my eyes and hair changed color, and my ears sharpened so that I resembled an elf. _Life is full of surprises_. I thought, while gazing up at the stars.

_Hmm_…_Raine knows that I have no idea why I have angel wings_. _She's pretty smart_…_and so is Kratos_. _I wonder if they'll realize that I'm not even native to this world_… Raine's words did make sense. Her invitation to join her party on a life threatening mission did have merit. I would be able to learn why I was going through all of those changes. _That angel_, _Remiel was it_? _He might be able to tell me something_…_and besides_, _where can I go_? The choice was obvious. I knew what to do; but it was difficult to admit it. A sigh escaped my lips and turned around. My legs carried me back to the house. My fingers coiled around the cold knob and forced the door open.

It was the same as before. Kratos, Raine, Colette, Colette's grandmother, and her father-Frank-were waiting. I entered the room and sat down on the couch. They all waiting for me to speak. I cleared my throat and opened my mouth, "I'll go."

Raine smiled, "Good. Then I suggest that you go to bed now and get plenty of rest. Do you have any belongings?"

I shook my head, "No…I'm not even sure how I got here."

She nodded and stood. "You can come and stay with my brother and I, if you'd like."

I rose and joined her, "Thank-you. I'd appreciate that." I quickly followed solver haired half-elf to the door. I bid everyone else in the room farewell before exiting the house once more.

Raine's home was not large. But I was still a cozy little wooden home. I was still so tired that I just fell onto the couch. I told Raine 'goodnight' before passing out…

**Chapter 6 shall be up soon. **


	7. Chapter 7

**And I have returned after an extremely long absence. Thank-you everyone who has been reviewing during my absence. I also renamed my main OC Keira Maria Rosewood (Mai is short for Maria). My main OC shall be referred to as Keira and her inner self shall be called Mai. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**game or their characters.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OC's and story twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 6: Desert **

"_For it was not into my ear you whispered_,

_But into my heart_.

_It was not my lips you kissed_,

_But my soul_."

-Judy Garland

My consciousness slowly swam through the dephs of my mind. A deep haze began to lift, allowing the sound of birds chirping to enter my ears. A low grown, which sounded vaguely like my voice, sounded. Whispers came from my right. It took me a second to realize that I was waking up. _So I was asleep? _My right hand returned to life, and slowly began sliding around on the surface that I was lying on. I could feel cloth. After a second, I determined that I was lying on a couch. _Must have been another sleep over at Jaclyn's. _I thought as my eyelids fluttered open, allowing me to see my surroundings. I was jolted awake when the blur in my eyes cleared, allowing me to see that I was _not _in Jaclyn's house. I sat up quickly and began looking around. A cozy living room surrounded me. There was the fireplace, a couch, a chair, and a few bookshelves here and there. I could see the kitchenette somewhere nearby, along with the dining room table. Guessing from the appearance of the walls, I would say the house was made of wood mostly.

I turned my gaze on the other occupants in the room. A woman wearing orange and black was standing near a corridor; her styled hair was short and white. Her kind light blue irises met my gaze. Beside her stood a twelve-year-old boy, who had long white hair, light blue eyes, and wore a blue and black outfit. Memories of the day before flooded into my mind. The two were Raine and Genis, two half-elves and were brother and sister. That was the day that I would leave the small village and join their group in their quest for World Regeneration. Images of Colette and the handsome Kratos entered my mind. I blinked. _**Handsome Kratos? Calm down girl, you've just met the guy! **_Came Mai's sarcastic voice.

My eyebrows knitted together slightly. _Shut-up! You have to admit that he's good looking. Just because I think that someone is good looking doesn't mean I like them._

_**I never said you did, did I? **_Mai asked.

I blinked, and then huffed. _Shut-up. _I wondered whether everyone else had arguments with their conscience. "Good morning, Keira," Raine said with a polite smile, "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," I replied, "And good morning to the both of you."

Her younger brother, Genis, smiled at me, "Hi! Good luck on your trip."

I smiled at the boy, "Thanks."

"Now remember," the white-haired woman said, as if continuing a conversation, "Don't tell Lloyd until after we've left, okay?"

I turned my attention to her, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well," she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, "I think that it would be best to leave without saying goodbye to Lloyd."

My eyebrows knitted together again, "Why?" _Why should we leave without him saying goodbye to his friend? _

"If we stay and allow the two to say goodbye, then leaving will be that much harder on Colette," Raine explained. I remained silent. The full impact of what this trip entailed hit me at that moment. An uneasy feeling boiled in the pit of my stomach. "Now, I would suggest that you change into some new clothes. You're a little…out of place."

I glanced down at myself. I was wearing the same _Twilight _hoodie and jeans as I had been when I arrived in Sylvarant. "One problem with that," I said, "I don't have anything."

"That's why you're going to buy some," She crossed the room and handed me a small bag of coins. I stared at the coins as if they were some strange species of insect. "Something wrong?"

I nodded, "Yes. I don't...really know how to spend this." I replied sheepishly.

Her face fell, allowing me to see the worry that she felt, "You must suffer from a serious case of amnesia," then she smiled, "Here, I'll help you."

"Thanks." I said as I rose to my feet, and followed her out of the front door. The sun shone upon Iselia Village, and a peaceful air surrounded us. The villagers were wandering around their home, talking and laughing about something or other. I could see a few cats and dogs scampering about. Children and teenagers were hanging out with their friends, reminding me slightly of my own childhood. A setting so familiar. It was the same as my backwater hometown on Earth. I promised myself that I would never go back, and yet now I found myself wishing that I could visit my hometown one last time. _Too late now. _I supposed. Raine led me to the nearby armory, where they sold a wide assortment of clothing. Most of which was either: cloth, leather, plate, or mail. I immediately began searching for cloth-related attire. Leather was second on my list. Bearing the weight of plate and mail would be out of the question. I chose the clothing that appealed to me the most, and then Raine paid for it. I observed how she spent the money for future reference. The two of us crossed the village and returned to her house. There, she directed me to the bathroom, where I began changing into my new outfit.

The bathroom was small. It contained a counter, which had a sink built in. There was a bathtub, and to my immense relief, a toilet. It was old fashioned, but it would due. I had to light a candle in order to see, though. As soon as the door was locked, I began stripping my clothes off until I was completely naked. I dumped my new clothes onto the wooden floor, and placed my old clothes into the sack. I slipped on my new undergarments, and then began working on my new attire. I slipped on a black, long-sleeved shirt; the bottoms of the sleeves covered half of my hands. The black shirt was cut so that my stomach would be revealed. A short-sleeved, white short that was cut so that my stomach was exposed was next; it was lined with dark brown. When I became a junior in high school, I went on a diet and began working out more during my free time. After tenth grade, gym class was no longer mandatory, and I was not fit enough to survive in Advanced Physical Education. So, I would work at my own pace to keep a flat stomach. My workouts became a habit, so I remained in good shape. So, I was not _as _nervous about wearing clothes that revealed my stomach. I was still a little self-conscious, though. Dark brown and silver, fingerless leather gloves protected my hands and wrists. A pair of black leggings was next, with a pair of white shorts that were lined with dark brown. Last, I slipped on a pair of dark brown, leather boots that were lined with silver.

I went to the mirror and gazed at myself. My light pink irises gazed back at me. My long ivory tresses, which were highlighted with the same color as my eyes, cascaded down my back. I grabbed a pair of scissors on the counter and cut my hair. Once it was short, yet styled in an interesting way, I placed the scissors down and threw the discarded pink and white hairs in the trash bin. I left the bathroom and found Raine holding two traveling bags. One was slung around her shoulders, while the other was in her hands. She smiled at me and handed me the dark brown one in her hands. I took it and placed my old clothes inside, then tied it around my shoulders. Raine bid farewell to her younger brother, who promised to look after both Lloyd and the house while she was gone. The two of us left the house, and began crossing the town to Colette's humble abode.

"He admires you." The white-haired woman said while we were walking, in a low tone.

I looked at her strangely, "Huh?" **Very**_** intelligent answer. **_Mai laughed. I ignored her.

"Your first half-elf that he's met, other than me. He enjoys knowing someone else of our kind that isn't a Desian," She explained. "Thank-you."

I kept my eyes on the ground as we walked, "No problem." It was not long before we arrived at the blonde's house. I saw Colette Brunel standing outside, in the same white and black attire that was lined with blue as she had been wearing the day before. Kratos Aurion was standing beside her, wearing the same dark purple attire from before. I paused to stare at him for a second. He looked familiar for some reason. Now that I thought about it, it felt as though I had either met or seen him before. This was impossible seeing as I was sure that I had just met the guy. I shrugged, deciding that it was probably just an incorrect feeling.

Colette turned around and smiled at us, "Good morning!" she waved enthusiastically.

"Hey." I said with a light wave.

Kratos looked at me, wearing his usual emotionless face. He approached me, and held something out. I looked down at his hand, and found a strange, silver thing. "It's a fan, made of five sharp silver blades," He said as he held it out to me. The small handle was black. I took the fan, and ran its cool surface over my hands, "Easy to use. You can move quickly, so evading an enemy's attacks should not be difficult." The redhead said.

"Thanks." I said without taking my eyes away from the blades. He gave me a curt nod before returning to Colette's side.

The man who I assumed to be Colette's father was standing near her. They looked alike. He smiled at his daughter. It looked forced, "Please be careful, Chosen."

"I will," Colette said with a cheerful smile, "Goodbye," He nodded. She turned to us, "Ready?" We all nodded, "Let's go." The blonde began walking towards one of the village exits. We followed her, but soon came to a stop when she tripped over herself. Raine sighed and shook her head as Colette got to her feet, and then the journey began. We exited through the village gates; there was a short pause, so that Raine and Colette could collect themselves before we left. Kratos and I stood off to the side. We were not particularly attached to this village. Once the two were ready, we set off into the thick forest.

The wood was peaceful. I could hear the sounds of chirping birds, and a few fuzzy animals scurried around on the forest floor every now and then. I was thankful for the dirt path, so the chances of getting lost were not as high. Our small group of four moved in silence. Kratos seemed to be in some distant place, Raine was reading a book, and Colette was admiring the nature that surrounded us, as was I. Being raised in the country gave me a chance to truly enjoy nature, but it also left a desire for the city in my heart. That was why I moved to New York, along with my friend Jennifer. I was a little surprised by how relaxed everyone was. But then I guessed that the road from Iselia Village was not very dangerous. I could sense the calm that engulfed the road, bringing peace. But I could also sense that the land was damaged. I had always been able to feel when something was either calm or disrupted. I guessed that my ability to sense the flow of the world came from my elvan blood. It was still hard to accept, but at that point, I was ready to believe that I was not a normal girl. But I also wondered why Raine said that Sylvarant persecuted half-elves. What had my race done that was so terrible? The Desians must have been the cause of their hate. But then why were the Desians causing so much suffering? There was more behind the scenes. I intended to understand the prejudice emotions that revolved around half-elves, and the reasoning behind the Desians. If I was trapped in Sylvarant, then it would be a good idea to learn about this new world. To get a grip on this new reality. While on the road, we came to a fork. I read a sign saying 'Iselia Human Ranch Up Ahead'. The others past it, so I followed suit.

I quickly caught up to Raine, "What's a Human Ranch?"

"The Desians see all of the other races as inferior beings. So, they lock humans in these ranches that they have established around the world. Horrible…unmentionable things happen to the captives." She explained.

I narrowed my eyes, "Why doesn't Sylvarant just send an army in to raid the ranches and save everyone? There can't _possibly_ be _that_ many Desians."

"You think that we haven't tried?" the white-haired half-elf asked. Understanding filled me, and I merely nodded. The Desians were not pushovers. The more I thought about it, the more they reminded me of the Nazi Party. A shiver went down my spine. I had always feared enduring something as horrible as the holocaust. _It's World War II all over again. _I thought as I followed the other three…

Hours passed as we moved down the dirt path. Hills led upwards and downwards. There was a complete lack of resistance. But I reminded myself not to let down my guard; this was only the start of our journey. Afternoon had fallen by the time we reached the edge of the forest. Beyond Iselia Forest lay a vast desert. The temperature had increased considerably.

"Resistance will increase as soon as we enter this desert," Kratos warned, "I pray that you are ready." He looked at me when he added his final sentence. I nodded, assuring him that I would not be a burden. I realized that there was no turning back once we left the forest. Traveling around Sylvarant would be better exercise than sitting at Genis's house all day. Once we were ready, the four of us entered the desert. The heat was an annoyance. Shortly after entering the desert, we were ambushed by bandits. It was like something out of a movie. I was walking through the sand, minding my own business, when Kratos unsheathed his sword and lunged at me. I stopped and ducked, screaming in both surprise and fear. But his attack was not directed at me. Instead, his blade flew over me and impaled whatever was behind me. That something was a man, who cried out in pain as the sword pierced his ribcage, and then soon his heart. I leapt away from the two, and gazed at the sight of the dying man in horror. Blood poured from his open wound as he fell to the sand covered ground. Kratos decapitated another bandit, before slicing into the chest of the third. That was the first time I had watched another human being die. I fought the bile as it rose to the back of my throat, and shakily rose to my feet. Kratos cleaned his blade, and then sheathed it. He did not wear the same expression as I did. The man must have been well acquainted with death. But that was only natural, seeing as he was a mercenary. Raine checked to make sure that I was feeling alright. I assured her that I would be fine, and then we continued on our quest.

_**Now do you understand what you'll face? **_Mai asked, sounding serious for the first time. _Yes. I know. _I replied silently. _**I'll try to teach you everything I know, so you don't get eaten by a garden snake. **_She laughed. _Oh come on! I'm not _that _bad, am I? _I asked in disbelief. Silence, and then a reply. _**Would you like me to lie or tell the truth? **_I sighed. _How about neither? _There was laughter in the back of my mind. Obviously, my inner self found me amusing. _Still…how do you know all of this? Aren't you supposed to be some weird voice that appeared out of the blue? Or…are you something else? __**Who knows? **_She replied. _**Guess you'll just have to figure it out as time goes by. **_

Mai must have been against giving me straight answers unless we were in a dire situation. Another small group of bandits attacked without warning. Raine and I stood by Colette, while Kratos ran in and ended their lives. I turned away as he dealt the final blows. Hours passed as noon fell. The heat was nagging at me. To my immense relief, we came upon a small village.

"This is called Triet. The Triet Ruins is the location of the first seal," Kratos began as we entered the town. The buildings were small, and were made of clay and stone. Small stores were scattered about. The cobblestone ground was covered with sand. People dressed in clothes fit for the weather wandered about. "We'll rest here for the night, and then head to the first seal tomorrow morning." The redhead said as he crossed the village. Raine, Colette, and I followed him, not entirely sure where to go. He quickly brought us to the Inn. The inside of the building was not covered in sand. It was mostly made of wood, and seemed cozy enough. He rented two rooms at the front desk, and then we quickly ran up the stairs.

Raine opened the door to the first room and peeked inside. She looked a little uneasy as she pulled out, "Uh…guys? Problem. These rooms only have two beds each." She checked our second room to make sure.

"Then we will each share a room." Kratos said simply. Suddenly, I felt nervous. Three of us were female, while one was male. Two of us would be in an awkward situation.

Colette inched towards the other half-elf, "I'm more comfortable sharing a room with Miss Sage, if that's okay with you, Mr. Aurion."

"That's fine by me," He looked at me, "Do you want to share a room or should I sleep in the hallway? Both are fine by me."

I blushed, "Um…no. We can share. I don't mind."

"Thank-you," He said, sounding slightly relieved. He did not favor the hallway, apparently. Raine and Colette said goodnight before going to their rooms. I followed Kratos into the room that we would be sharing. He went inside and dropped his travel bag on the floor, and then went to a nearby table. The room was small, with two beds. There was a set of shelves, a table with a chair, and a dresser. There was also a window. "Try to get some sleep. Your training begins tomorrow," He said as he untied the sheath from his hip and set it on the table. He reached up and unclasped his cloak, then folded it and placed it with his sword. I blushed furiously as I realized that he was stripping. He looked at me, as if he knew that I was embarrassed, "Don't worry. I'm not stripping down to my boxers." A light, almost mischievous grin appeared on his face.

I sighed in relief, "Thanks." He removed a majority of the leather. This left him with his white socks, dark purple pants and sleeveless shirt, and the dark purple gloves that covered his wrists and a majority of his arms save his shoulders. I could see his perfectly toned muscles through the fabric. I tried not to stare as I removed most of my clothes, leaving me with my black, long-sleeved shirt, black leggings, and socks. I laid on one bed, while he stretched out on the other. I was exhausted. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift away from the Inn and Triet…

**End of this chapter. Sorry if it was too boring. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank-you for reviewing! And here's the next chapter…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**game or their characters.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OC's and story twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 7: Rescue **

"_In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe_

_And enough shadows to blind those who don't_."

-Blaise Pascal

It seemed like an eternity before morning arrived. I awoke to the sound of screaming, and then a series of loud thumps. Kratos was out the door before I even realized that something happened. When I joined him in the hallway, we found that a half-asleep Colette had fallen down the steps. I sighed and shook my head before returning to our room. I took some time to stretch my limbs and pop my back before adding on my gloves, baggy white belly-shirt, shorts, dark brown belt, and boots. I firmly held my fan in my right hand as I left the room so that Kratos could add his cloak, lavender gloves, belts, boots, and sword to his attire. I yawned as I slung my travel bag around my shoulders and moved down the steps. Colette carefully descended them after me, fully dressed and ready to leave. Raine soon followed. Once the only male in our party was ready, we checked out of the Inn.

"Alright," Raine said as we entered the raging heat. Sand began to kick up due to the constant wind. "We should probably buy some extra provisions before leaving Triet."

Kratos nodded in agreement, "Right. We'll meet at the entrance of the town, alright?"

"Okay." The blonde said obediently.

"Fine by me." I replied. I could care less what our plans were, considering this was my first time on a save-the-world-quest. I decided to follow Kratos around the town, while Colette went with Raine. I felt safer with the mercenary. One never knew when some creepy guys would leap out of the shadows and attack me. The both of us moved quietly from store to store. The redhead was in charge of buying food. I tried to carry our purchases, but Kratos insisted to do that for me. He was such a gentleman.

The quiet was beginning to annoy me. So, I decided to say something, "So…why'd you decide to become a mercenary?"

"No particular reason." The man replied.

I nodded, "M-hm…" There was an awkward silence. _**You're terrible at conversations! Why don't you say something like 'what's your favorite color'? That always leads to something interesting. **_I ignored my inner self. I doubted that she knew anything about conversations, seeing as all she has ever done is argue with me. She has never spoken to anyone else before, so she wouldn't know how to have a decent conversation. But I had to admit that I was not a very good conversationalist. It seemed as though Kratos was fine with the silence. So, I took to admiring my surroundings. The heat was aggravating, and there was sand everywhere. I determined that much.

While we were exploring Triet, I noticed a small tent that caught my interest. "I'll be back in a sec." I said to my companion and quickly ran to the tent. I guessed by the sound of footsteps behind me that he followed. I entered the small cloth hut, and found that it was decorated by an assortment of odd trinkets. There was a table, with a cloth covering it and a deck of cards in the center. Behind the table was an old woman, wrapped in baggy clothing. She resembled a fortune teller. She smiled at me, revealing yellow teeth, "Welcome to Madam Ayame's! Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Um…what do you do?" I asked, my eyes scanning the room.

"I tell you of you future in romance, of course," she said as if it were obvious, "for a small fee, I will gladly give you a peek into da world of love, and allow you to see how successful…or otherwise…you shall be." She had a bit of an accent.

I looked at Kratos. Without a word, he handed me a small bag of coins, "Thanks." I always got a kick out of things like this. I knew that they were always just a joke, and never really worked, but it was still fun to play around with fortunes and the like. I handed her the money she desired.

She gladly took it, "Thank-you…now, hold out your hand," I did as she said and held said limb out to her. She took it, and began tracing the lines on my palm. She had long nails, which were painted dark purple. "Hmm…" she released my hand and grabbed her deck. She began toying with the cards, and performing interesting tricks with them. Then, she set the deck on the table, so that only six cards remained in her hand, "Take one." I hesitated, allowing my eyes to trace the cards. I thought for a moment, and then took one from her hand. She did not give me enough time to read it, though. She snatched it away from me, and glanced at her. Her eyes widened in surprise, "Oh! Dis card is very special, indeed. It is da Key of Destiny, a very rare card. Very few have been chosen by dis card."

"What does it mean?" I asked, curious to see what show she would cook up.

She held the card out to me. I took it from her, and glanced at it. It was mostly white, with intricate designs added in. They resembled an angel dressed in flowing white robes and golden jewelry. A pure snow white wing protruded from the right side of her back, while a black wing protruded from the left. Her right eye was pure blue, while the left eye was a deep purple. Crimson blood dripped from the corner of her left eye, like a tear. She had long dark brown hair, and her skin was light. She looked vaguely familiar.

"A long path has been chosen for you. You shall experience love and betrayal. However, you fate is different from most. Depending on da strength of you heart, will determine whether your future love shall return to you. Both evil and good lay in you future. I would be careful, if I were you. You future is unwritten, and difficult to protect." She said.

I stared at the card, shrugged, and then handed it back to her, "Interesting," An idea struck me at that second. I turned to Kratos and smiled, "Hey, Kratos, maybe you should let her read your fortune!"

"That's a waste of time." The redhead replied.

My smile broadened, "But haven't you ever been curious about your love life?"

"Not really." He said in his usual, serious tone. _**It must suck **_**that **_**much. **_Mai laughed. _Shut-up! That's rude. _I scolded. _**And I would care why…? It's not like he can hear me. **_I wondered why my inner self was so different from me.

My face fell, "Please?"

"Fine." He sighed and moved to the table. He removed his right glove and held his hand out to the old woman. I was surprised at how quickly he gave in. Being satisfied with being the victor of the short lived argument, I stood by and watched the show. Ayame grabbed his hand and began tracing the lines on it. She let go of his hand, and began performing more card tricks. She ended up with three cards this time. She held them out to him, and took one. She snatched the card away and looked at it.

"Hmm…very interesting," Ayame mused, "I see dat a fellow acquaintance of yours shall steal your heart, and mend da damage dat has been done. However, a life altering decision will be forced upon you, and you will be da one to decide da fate of her life."

Kratos was silent, before saying, "I see," And turning away from her, "Come on," I bid farewell to the old woman before following him back into the streets of Triet. "We should head to the entrance." The redhead suggested.

"Okay." I agreed and quickly followed after him. We moved through the city, and neared our destination. Raine and Colette were already there. I was walking towards them when I noticed something odd. I stopped, and then headed towards the Inn. My eyes glued to the wall. There was a poster on it. On the poster was a badly drawn sketch of what I guessed was Lloyd Irving. He was wanted by someone named Lord Forcystus, one of the Five Grand Cardinals of the Desians. My heart nearly skipped a beat as I quickly ran to the others.

"Uh guys," I said nervously, "We've got a problem."

"What?" Kratos asked.

I gestured to the poster, "Lloyds done something stupid." I said bluntly.

"What!?" Raine jumped, and sped towards the poster. She read it, and then stomped back to us, "I knew it!"

I blinked, "Knew what?"

"I overheard some of the people in the town talking about how two boys, a human and an elf, were arrested by the Desians last night! That must have been Lloyd and Genis!" the white haired woman replied, looking both worried over the safety of her student and brother, and angry over their stupidity. "Oh, what has Lloyd done to anger the Desians? I always knew that he wasn't very bright, but this is ridiculous!" It was sad when one's teacher could admit that they did not trust in their intelligence. It was amazing how quickly the boy's lives deteriorated. I guessed that this situation transpired shortly after our departure from Iselia Village. "Because of my worry, I decided to get directions to any suspicious places nearby. Come on, we should go immediately!"

Kratos sighed and shook his head as we left Triet. The four of us entered the hot, expansive desert. Raine quickly took the lead, and the three of us followed. Shortly after leaving the town, we came across a large worm-like creature. I almost wet myself when I saw it. Kratos lunged forward and sliced its head off, allowing green blood to pour from its body. It was easy to kill. The four of us continued onward. One the way to the base, we ran into someone familiar. "Huh? Noishe? Genis!" Raine cried as she ran forward.

The green and blue dog-like creature that belonged to Lloyd was walking through the wind, a white haired half-elf perched on its back. Genis was covering his face from the sand that was carried upwards by the wind. Raine ran to the dog, and quickly scooped her brother into her arms. She embraced him, wearing a relieved expression, "Genis! I was so worried about you! How did you escape? Where's Lloyd?"

He looked up at her, a melancholy expression on his face, "The Desian's let me go, but they kept Lloyd! I'm sorry…sis…but…we were exiled from Iselia Village! It's all my fault!" he began sobbing, "One of my friends was a prisoner in the ranch, and I always visited her! But then we were caught by the Desians yesterday, and they attacked the village. Lloyd and I were exiled…" his voice trailed off, "…so we came here looking for you guys. But as soon as we got to Triet, a group of Desians arrested us. They brought us to their base, let me go, but kept Lloyd! We need to save him! It's my fault he's here in the first place!" The boy was frantic.

"I see…" Raine replied. She sighed, "…the two of you have made a grave mistake…but we'll deal with that later. Take us to the base." It was an order. Genis nodded. Noishe whimpered, and then ran off. I was worried about letting the creature go on its own. But I was forced to ignore it, and follow the other four. Genis took the lead, and the rest of us followed him as he ran in the direction that he and Noishe had come from. We ran into one group of bandits. I was forced to slice open one of their sides, while Kratos made quick work of most of them. Hours seem to pass before we finally reached a tall, mostly grey and black building. There were two Desians standing outside the front door.

"Huh? Who's there!?" one of them asked.

Kratos unsheathed his sword and lunged at him. He decapitated the man, and then impaled the second one in the chest. I ignored the dead bodies and followed the others into the building. The hallways were mostly grey, and were lined with red and blue lights. We immediately ran into a strange robot, which was equipped with a sword and a pair of guns. It was the first time I had actually seen such a weapon in real life, and was a little surprised to see it in a place like Sylvarant. It seemed a little low tech compared to Earth; other then the use of magic, of course. It took Kratos a second to eliminate it. Colette used her chakrams to add damage to the machine. I ran up to it and began using what little knowledge I had of fighting to wound it. Kratos delivered the final blow, and then we continued on. A group of Desians began pouring into the corridors as we moved along. Kratos made quick work of them, while I would stay by Colette and wound anyone that came near. The blonde tossed her chakrams at the enemy, tripped a few times, and then continued fighting. Alarms went off, causing even more Desians to attack.

"What is this? I've never seen anything so advanced before." Raine whispered. It was called technology. I was acquainted with it, but decided to stay silent.

Kratos killed one, and then injured another with his sword, "That doesn't matter now! We need to set Lloyd free, and then continue on our journey." He said as he ended the man's life. I sliced the thigh of one open, and then kicked him between the legs. He cried out and fell the ground. Genis stood back and casted a spell here and there. Both he and Colette wore worried expressions. We ran up several staircases before coming to a door that led into a large, lavishly decorated room. It reminded me of a throne room. The main colors were white, red, and gold.

Inside the room was that Desian, Botta, who attacked the village before. Across from him was Lloyd, holding a pair of twin swords. He looked at us, a surprised expression on his face, "You guys!"

"Lloyd!" Colette cried.

Botta smirked at us, "Good. Now I can kill all of you in one go," He held up his broadsword, "Prepare to die!" He lunged at the Chosen. Kratos leapt into front of him and parried the attack, despite the size difference in their blades. Genis casted fire magic, while Lloyd used his Demon Fang attack. I stood with Colette and Raine, prepared to heal should the need arise. Botta swung his blade at Kratos; the latter dodged that attack with little effort, and lunged at the raven haired half-elf. Lloyd slashed at his back, wounding him. He jerked around, ready to chop the younger male in half. The teen ducked and dodged the attack, then delivered a powerful blow to one of his legs. Kratos fell from the ceiling, and attempted to decapitate him. Botta swerved out of the way and guarded against the attack. Botta released a battle cry and used a powerful wind spell, sending both Kratos and Lloyd flying across the room. He then charged at us, his sword at the ready. Sadly, I was near the front, so I would be receiving a majority of the damage. I cried out, and raised my fan.

"Do you honestly think that that will protect you!?" Botta laughed as his blade rose into the air. I screamed as he prepared to slice me in half with one swing of his blade. Luck was in my favor. There was a surge of energy, and I held out one hand.

The words found their way past my lips, like before, "_**Grand Cross!!!**_" The white cross from before erupted from my open palm, and wrapped around Botta's broadsword. The blade cracked, and then blew to small, sharp pieces, which scattered onto the ground. I could feel my white wings protruding from my back, and my body slouched. My breathing was ragged. That one attack was enough to completely drain me. It was almost impossible to stay conscious.

Botta gazed at the hilt and remains of his once proud sword, "Huh…wha…? What the hell…?" he looked at me, "an…Angel? Are you a Chosen of Mana? Or something else…?" His face twisted in anger, "You little bitch! You destroyed my sword!!!" He held up the sharpened remains and prepared to impale my with them. I was too weak to even move. I closed my eyes, praying that a miracle would happen. The pain never came. I opened one eye, and found Botta gazing at me in utter shock. Behind him stood Kratos. I could see his sword protruding from the man's chest, from where his heart would be. The redhead created a long gash in his back and chest, and then shoved the dying man out of his way. Botta hit the ground, and did not move.

"Are you okay?" Kratos asked me as he whipped his blade off.

I nodded, and flapped my wings, "Y-yeah…I'm just f-fine…" Black spots tore at my vision, and my knees buckled. _Crap. _I thought as I fell forward. Something caught me, and soon, sleep took over…

Keira's wings receded into her back, and she slowly fell forward. I opened my arms, and caught the woman before she could hit the ground. She was worn out from one spell. Her body was not accustomed to angelic magic yet. I sheathed my sword, and lifted the half-elf into my arms, bridal style. It was not difficult for me to read her mana levels, and see that she was a half-elf. Ironic that she possessed the same racial status as her, along with her mana level. That must be one reason why she was chosen. Lloyd limped towards us, holding his wounded arm. He hit the wall and landed on a table full of glass object, so obviously he was wounded. Raine quickly attended to the boy.

"Come, we need to leave now," I ordered. Everyone agreed, and we quickly left the way we came. The hallways were not as full of Desians as before. It was easier to evacuate the base than it was to infiltrate. As expected, we were assaulted by the desert heat. I ignored it, and lead the others through the expansive ocean of sand. It was noon by the time we reached Triet. Unfortunately, everyone was too tired to go to the ruins. I turned to the others once we were safe in the town, "We will stay the night here and then head for the ruins tomorrow. Understood?" They all agreed, and we quickly located the Inn. I rented three rooms, and then ran up the stairs. I moved down the hallway and unlocked the door to my room. Keira and I would be sharing a room, leaving the others to sort out who would be with whom. I entered the room and crossed it in three long strides. After calming, I placed the unconscious woman on the bed.

I then turned and placed myself in the nearby chair, allowing my eyes trail over her sleeping form. Both Keira and Colette were my intended targets. Honestly, I was surprised to find them both so quickly, and in the same place. It must have been fate. Judging by her appearance, I would say that Keira was already going through the transformation. This would leave one question: which one would be a more suitable host for her? I had a feeling that he would choose Keira, seeing as a part of her was already inside of the woman. Not to mention she has progressed so quickly. Colette did not even have her wings yet. _It is due to _her _presence that the transformation is even occurring. But I guess it was her fate in the end, seeing as she is a Chosen of Mana. _I thought.

There were many obvious differences in physical appearance, but there were also many similarities. Both of them had the same facial expressions, and their personalities were almost the same. They were even the same race; both of them were half-elves. That made Keira her ideal host. The Exsphere on her right hand also added to her power. _Yes. He will surely choose her…but… _for some reason; I enjoyed the woman's company. I would often force a smile back when she was around. It was like being reunited with an old friend. I felt this strange urge to protect her. Seeing her sleep so peacefully…I shook my head. _Stop thinking like that. _I urged as I rose to my feet. _Some fresh air should help. _I locked the door before leaving her unattended. I moved through the hallway and down the stairs. The sun had fallen, so the air had cooled considerably. I crossed the small street and stopped when I reached a small stable. In the stable stood Noishe, Lloyd's pet.

The creature looked at me curiously, and then began sniffing my chest. I reached up to scratch his chin. Noishe purred in delight, and pressed his chin against my fingers. I decided to feed the dog, and give him some food and water. He gleefully accepted my gift. I watched as he ate, allowing my mind to wander. _Why does she have this effect on me? _I wondered. It was strange, and yet familiar. I knew this feeling all too well, and how much pain it would bring. I sighed, and began stroking Noishe's head. The sound of footsteps rang from behind me. I reached for my hip and jerked around, my blade at the ready. I stopped when a familiar cry caught my attention. It was Lloyd; he wore a terrified expression. The resemblance was scary.

"Oh, Lloyd," I said as I sheathed my blade, "I'm sorry if I startled you."

He calmed and sighed in relief, "Uh, 'startled' isn't the word," I turned away and began scratching Noishe's chin again. "Are you fond of animals?" Lloyd asked as he leaned against the wooden fence.

"No, not particularly," I replied, not taking my eyes from the animal. "I once had a pet, long ago." I added.

"I see…" Lloyd muttered.

There was an awkward silence. I decided to rest before tomorrow arrived. Before leaving, I made sure to give the boy some helpful advice, "Lloyd…" he looked at me expectantly, "Your swordsmanship is severely lacking. You should train more often and improve your skills, unless you want to hinder the Chosen's journey with your inexperience." Then, I walked away from the teen.

He was silent, before shouting "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!? You jerk! You think you can say that and then just walk away!? COME BACK!!!" I ignored him as I entered the Inn, and went up the stairs. I moved down the hallway and quickly went inside of our room. When I turned around, I found Keira kicking her legs around. Her face was twisted with fear. She must have been having a nightmare. I crossed the room and stopped beside her bed. I stared down at her for a second before placing my palm on her forehead.

"Rest well." I whispered, and watched as she began to calm. I heard that speaking to someone who was having a nightmare would often calm them. They could usually hear you in the back of their mind. Once peace returned to her, I went to the table and began placing my outer armor and sword on it. I was left with my socks, pants, and shirt. I turned and sprawled out on my bed, and then closed my eyes. Sleep would never come…

**Yes, the end of the chapter was from Kratos' POV. And Keira is not a self-insert, she's an OC. Although I will admit that her personality has similarities with mine. I will reveal who 'he' and 'she' (the two Kratos mentioned) are, although I'm sure a majority of my readers will figure it out. Well, please review and I shall update soon…**


	9. Chapter 9

**And now for the next chapter. I will say this now: I don't own Mai. You will find out who she is in this chapter. It will be in Keira's POV again…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**game or their characters.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OC's and story twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 8: Fire**

"_All war is deception_."

-Sun Tzu

_All I could do was run. Run far away from the dark shadow that was chasing me. I screamed for help; but no one came. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I continued to call for help. It seemed as though all hope had been lost. The shadow that was going to catch me. There was nothing I could do. Suddenly, a figure appeared before me. I gazed up at it in surprise. It was a man. I could not see his face; his back was turned to me. But what I could see was a dark purple cloak and short, spiked auburn colored hair. I opened my mouth to call to him, but my voice never came. I moved my legs and tried to run to him, but I was frozen in one spot. Suddenly, he turned to me, and approached me. He stopped, and wrapped his arms around me protectively, before creating a blue flash. I looked up at his face, and was surprised to see that it was Kratos…_

My eyes opened. A nearly white ceiling hung above me. I slowly sat up, and glanced around the room. It resembled the bedroom that belonged to the Inn. Sunlight poured into the room through the window. "I see that you're awake." A deep voice said. I looked at the table, and found Kratos tying his sword to his left hip.

It was odd, talking to the man who was just in my dream. I was a little embarrassed, "Uh…yeah."

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. He was a little more chatty than normal.

I nodded; I knew that he could see me, seeing as his head was turned slightly towards me, "M-hm."

"Good," The redhead said as he prepared to leave the room, "Hurry up. We need to leave immediately." I nodded in agreement and rolled out of bed. I paused to unfold my wings. They flapped, and glimmered in the morning sun. _Why do I have them now? _I wondered as I hid them once more. I gathered my things, which were on the wooden table, and then followed the redheaded mercenary down the stairs. We found Colette, Lloyd, Genis, and Raine waiting for us in the lobby.

"'Bout time you two got up." The brunette said from a nearby table.

Raine walked up to me, a soft smile on her face, "How are you feeling, Keira?"

"Fine." I replied.

She sighed, "That's a relief."

I hesitated, "So what happened after I passed out?"

"Kratos finished Botta off, and then we escaped from the base," Lloyd said excitedly. Lucky for him, there was no-one else but the half-asleep human woman behind the counter nearby. Raine turned around and whacked the side of his head with her fist. "OW! Why'd you hit me!?" he whined.

She glared at him, "Shut it!" she leaned in, and whispered something only he could hear. He huffed and stroked his sore cranium.

"Is everyone ready to leave?" Kratos asked in a bored tone.

Colette nodded, "Yes, Mr. Aurion."

"We've already gone shopping to replace some of the lost supplies, too." Genis added excitedly.

He nodded, "Alright then, let's go." He turned and left through the door. Colette, Genis, Raine, Lloyd, and I all filed out of the Inn one-by-one. The mercenary led us to the entrance of Triet, and after ensuring that we were all ready, we left the town…

The sand whirled around us as we made our way to the first seal. A small group of bandits attacked us. I managed to hold them off, but found it difficult to actually take their lives. Lloyd stayed nearby to fend them off when they drew near to Colette, Raine, Genis, and me. Kratos charged in and began slicing and hacking at the enemy, while Genis used magic to back him up. We managed to defend the Chosen, and then continue on our journey. Shortly after defeating the small group of bandits, another giant worm attacked us; it must have been attracted by the scent of the fallen men's blood. Kratos and Lloyd made quick work of the beast, so that we could continue on our way. Hours seem to fly by as we battled our way past hungry monsters and bloodthirsty bandits, before finally arriving in a clear zone. There, I saw a small group of old stone pillars, and one pedestal in the center.

"The Triet Ruins." Raine announced. I could see a strange spark in her eyes. She ran ahead and stopped in front of the pedestal. She began running her hands along pedestal, examining it. There was a small hole on the cobblestone ground, but it was sealed off.

Colette glanced over Raine's shoulder curiously, "Is this is the seal? It has my family's crest on it."

"Fantastic!" the white-haired woman shouted suddenly, causing me to jump a little. Everyone looked at her, wondering the same exact thing. She gestured to the slab that blocked our way inside of the hole, "Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's _clearly_ of a different composition than the surrounding stone," she paused, and then giggled excitedly, "It's just as I thought!" She dropped to her knees and began lovingly stroking the stone around the slab, starring at it as if it were the Holy Grail, "This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic. Oh, feel the smooth surface; it wonderful!" She sang merrily.

Everyone, including Kratos, was looking at her strangely. _**Is poly-what'cha-call-it even a word? **_Mai asked. _No idea. _I replied silently. The redhead was the first to speak, "Is she always like this?" Genis merely gazed at his feet. Raine moved away from the slab and began examining the pedestal.

"Is she?" Lloyd asked his friend, curious to understand his teacher's strange behavior.

The white-haired boy sighed, his face red with embarrassment, "I've been trying so hard to hide it, too…"

"Hmm?" Raine's voice caught our attention, "This depression reads 'oracle stone'…Colette, place your hand here. That should reveal the entrance."

The blonde nodded, and did as she was told. As soon as she did so, the slab pulled away, revealing an old, stone stairway. "It opened!" Colette cried, "Wow…I really am the Chosen after all!"

"Yes," Genis drawled, "I think we all know that already." He sounded a little annoyed.

Lloyd cheered, "This is getting exciting! Let's hurry up and go inside!" I could see the fire burning in his eyes.

"I hope you'll be able to maintain that enthusiasm." Kratos muttered. The brunette barely even noticed. Raine took the lead and began making her way down the steps. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis soon followed.

I hesitated, mostly so I could ask the question that had been bothering me for some time, "Are there zombies in there?" I asked.

Kratos began making his way downwards, "Probably."

"Goodie." I mumbled sarcastically, and followed the redhead inside. _Resident Evil crossed with Indiana Jones , here I come…_

The inside of the Triet Ruins was the same as Martel's Temple. The first corridor we came upon was dark and mostly made of old stone. However, it was not cool. It was very warm. I guessed that that had something to do with the desert outside. Candles lit our way, which was a little surprising, considering that there should not have been anyone to light them. There was a pungent odor in the air, and it made me slightly uneasy. I silently followed the others, looking for any sign of an enemy. A shriek caused me to jump, and my heart's pace to quicken. I cried out and looked at Genis, who scurried behind Raine, cowering because of something. Kratos caught the hilt of his sword, while Lloyd unsheathed his dual blades, ready for what was to come. Colette looked around in a confused daze.

"What is it?" the white-haired woman asked her brother.

Genis gestured towards the floor, "T-that!"

She looked down at it, and sighed. I followed her gaze, and yelped when I saw it. There was a rotting corpse lying on the ground. Its flesh was slowly disintegrating, revealing the remains of dead organs and the skeleton within the dying flesh. I could see some of the armor that they once wore, torn to shreds. A rusted, bloodied sword lay beside the corpse, still within the skeletal hands' grip.

"That must have been one of the former Chosen' guardians," Raine mused, "Looks like he didn't survive the trip."

Lloyd looked at her curiously, "How can you tell?"

I looked at him strangely, disgust and fright both still in my face, "Well, he's dead isn't he?"

"No, I didn't mean _that_," the brunette replied in an annoyed tone, "I wanted know how she knew that he was a guardian." He sheathed his blades as he spoke.

Raine looked at him, as if she were becoming annoyed, "Do you _ever _pay attention in class? I told you a few weeks ago that only the Chosen and their guardians can enter the temples. If this man's corpse is here, then obviously he was a guardian," she turned her gaze on the body, "and from the looks of it, he was the guardian to the Chosen before Colette." Seeing the corpse was a quick reminder of what lay within the temples. I was not eager to meet whatever had killed the man.

"We need to remain cautious." Kratos warned. _**No kidding. **_Mai replied. _**Just try not to die, okay Keira? **_I nodded. _I'll try not to. _There was a chuckle in the back of my mind. _**But with the 'handsome' Kratos here, I doubt any harm will come to you. **_I narrowed my eyes some. _Haha, very funny. _The group began moving forward, determined to unlock the seal and then leave as soon as possible. Everything was quiet. There had not been an enemy, or living thing for that matter, in sight. That changed when a low groan caught our attention. I jerked around to face whoever it was, and found Kratos already unsheathing his sword. He turned around and decapitated a human form's head. It fell to the ground. I stared at it for a second, trying to determine what it was. Then I realized that it was the deceased guardian. Whoever it was rose from the dead in an attempt to attack us. _**Oh yeah, that's **_**real**_** loyal to the cause. **_Mai muttered, sounding slightly annoyed. _It's a zombie, Mai. His brain is deteriorating. _I reminded her. I felt sorry for the man, but technically it was his body we were insulting, not him. His soul had already passed on, so I was making fun of the empty shell he left behind. It would be a different story if the soul, the actual person, was still in the body.

After that short skirmish, we continued on down the hallway. We soon came to a fork. Colette closed her eyes, and stood near the fork. There was a strange echo in one direction. I closed my eyes as well. If one closes their eyes, their hearing should improve. Or at least mine would. The echo continued to dance from wall to wall. I listened closely; it reminded me of a heartbeat. There was something, alive, waiting for us inside of this temple. I could also sense some strange force accompanying the sound. _**Uh, Keira, I think now would be a good time to learn how to summon me. **_Mai said, sounding a little nervous.

_Summon you? What are you talking about? Aren't you supposed to be my conscience? _I asked, feeling a little confused.

_**No. I'm not. Jeez, I thought you would've figured that out by now! Do you honestly not remember the last time we met? **_

_No. _

She sighed. _**Your memory is atrocious. Well, when we get to the seal, you'll find out exactly who I am, okay? **_

_Fine by me. I want to make sure that I'm not going insane and inventing voices in my head, anyway. _I thought, pleased with the thought of ensuring that my sanity has maintained itself over the years. "That way." Colette said, pointing in a random direction.

"What makes you think we that?" Lloyd asked.

She shrugged, "Dunno. But we're supposed to go to the left."

"Fine by me." the brunette said as he took off in the left direction. Colette chased after him, with Genis behind the two.

Raine glared at them, "Don't run around-THIS IS NOT A PLAYGROUND!!!" She raged as she took chase. I rolled my eyes. _Was I this stupid as a teenager? _

_**Yes. **_

_Shut-up. _I thought, deciding that Mai was beginning to get on my nerves. Kratos sighed and walked beside me, glancing around every now and then. It was not long before we caught up to the young teens. Lloyd stopped in front of a door, and smiled in amazement by whatever was inside. "Wow!"

"What?" the white-haired boy asked as he approached his friend. Colette followed, and ended up tripping over herself. There was a barricade made of old rubble and debris in the hallway, and the Chosen managed to hit her head on a rock. She was not knocked unconscious, but she did loosen one of the rocks. The entire barricade shifted dangerously. We held our breaths, but it never fell. I sighed in relief. _**The Chosen has been cursed with a shitty equilibrium. Great. **_Mai sighed; if she were real, I was sure that she would be shaking her head in disappointment. _Watch your language. _I scolded. _**Get over yourself. **_She replied. I did not respond.

"You okay Colette?" Lloyd asked curiously as he aided his friend in standing.

She nodded, "Uh-huh. I'm fine." She assured him.

He approached the barricade, and examined it, "Man, if you'd knocked that rock loose, the entire thing would've fallen down," He then shook his head, "Nah, I bet that'd happen if you hit this one," He pointed at a different rock, "The rock you hit is too sturdy." He reeled his leg back and kicked it, "See?"

Suddenly, the barricade began to tremble violently as the rock fell from the others. I knew what was about to occur. The rubble and debris began to fall, and I was in their path. Something wrapped around my waist and jerked me away from the descending boulders, while cries filled the hallway. I closed my eyes and embraced whoever had saved me, and waited for the excitement to cease. Once everything calmed, I opened my eyes. A wall of fallen rubble stood before me.

"Are you hurt?" a deep voice asked. I turned around and found Kratos, with his arms around my waist.

I blushed and stepped away, "Nope. Perfectly fine," I looked back at the rocks, "Answer me if your not dead!" I shouted at the rocks once I established that the others were nowhere in sight.

"I'm fine." Genis's voice whined from the other side.

"I have a little bump on the head, but it's nothing serious." Colette called back.

"LLOYD YOU IDIOT!" there was a loud thump, "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!" The voice sounded like Raines'.

"OW! I'm sorry Professor!" the brunette whined.

_**I hate Lloyd right now. I really do. **_Mai growled. "Are you alright?" Raine called from the other side.

"Never better." I replied.

"I am unharmed." Kratos said.

There was an audible sigh, "Okay. We might have to find a way around. If we try to tear the barricade down, who knows what'll happen? Keira. Kratos. Try to go to the right and see if there's a door. If there is, then try to meet us in the next room. I managed to get a good look inside before Lloyd knocked the rubble down. We will be able to meet in there. Okay?"

"Understood," Kratos replied. He looked down at me, "Come." I nodded and ran after the redheaded man. We circled the corridor all the way to the right door, and found there was one. We quickly entered the next room. I was amazed by what I saw. The room was humungous. Platforms hovered in the air, while other platforms could only be accessed by a set of stairs. The ground was broken into stone bridges, and that was the only thing keeping us from sinking into the molted lava below. It bubbled, waiting for someone to slip into its fiery dephs. I could see a few burned out torches here and there. It was darkened, and the lava was our only source of light.

Kratos entered the room with me following closely behind. He stopped and glanced around. "There must be some kind of magic holding those platforms up." He muttered.

"But what?" I asked.

He shook his head, "I am unsure as of yet."

"Hey!" a female voice called. We both turned to the source, and found Raine waving at us from across the room. Beside her stood Lloyd, Colette, and Genis. I waved back. Kratos walked towards the nearest torch and examined it. Raine mimicked his actions and examined the torch on their side. I glanced around the room, and soon realized that reaching them would be a difficult task.

"Keira." The redhead called.

I approached him, "Hm?"

"Use a fire spell to light the torch." He ordered. I nodded and held my hand out to it. _**I'm opposed to fire magic, so this is going to be difficult for you. Your elements are water, ice, and the moon. But you can still cast fire spells. Remember, heated, angry energy and the spell will do the rest. **_Mai said quickly. I closed my eyes, and waited as the heated energy began to spill forth.

My mouth opened as the words appeared, "_**Fireball!**_" A small orb made of flame shot from my hand as I spout the incantation, and landed inside of the torch. As it lit, a set of stairs appeared, leading to one of the many platforms.

"It's just as I thought," Kratos muttered, "We'll have to decipher the puzzle in order to meet on the main platform," He gestured to it. There was a large platform protruding from the lava. It was the largest in the room, and I could see a strange, glowing purple symbol etched into it. There was also something that reminded me of the teleporter we used in Martel's Temple. "Did you hear me?" he shouted at Raine.

"Yes!" she turned to Colette, and began saying something to her. The girl nodded and held out her hand. A flame shot from it and into the torch. Our mission was to solve the puzzle, and then rejoin with the others. I thought that it would be easy, but I soon found that it would be much harder. A horde of enemies began pouring from a door nearby. Moat of which were zombies.

Kratos narrowed his eyes as he unsheathed his sword, "Focus on lighting the torches and solving the puzzle. I will handle them!" He charged at the horde and began slashing at them with his blade. "_**Sonic Thrust!**_" he chanted. His sword began to glow pure white as he released an ivory bolt that sliced through the horde, "_**Demon Fang!**_" the same attack that Lloyd made use of shot from his blade and chopped the head of one zombie in half. I quickly ran past them and on to the next torch. "_**Guardian!**_" a translucent force field encircled Kratos, and tore at the zombies, flinging some of them into the lava. I lit the next torch with my meager arsenal of fire spells, and then headed on to the next. The others appeared to be having the same amount of trouble. Lloyd was hacking and slashing at a horde of zombies, while Genis burned them with his stronger fire spells. Raine was followed Colette around, helping her with any and all enemies that attacked her. "_**Double Demon Fang!**_" Two ivory lightning bolts shot from his sword and ripped apart a small handful of zombies. They were never-ending. More and more would pour into the room. It was both Resident Evil and Indiana Jones all over again, just as I predicted. "_**Sonic Thrust!**_" I continued evading the zombies at all cost, and lighting the torches. Soon, both Colette and I lit the right torch, and we were given passage to the main platform.

I turned around, "Kratos, c'mon!"

"_**Guardian!**_" he shouted, sending another group flying. He sprinted after me, caught my arm, and then drug me up the stairs. The others joined us there. We quickly leapt onto the teleporter, and allowed it to take us away. I was relieved when we entered a smaller, zombie free room. It was a little dark. Intricate designs on the walls, and glowing symbols added a little flare to the appearance. There was an alter in the center of the room.

"This place was also built with magitechnology," Raine smiled as she looked around, "Absolutely fantastic!"

As we approached the alter, glowing red fireflies rose from the alter. The heartbeat was louder than before. It was all around us. The room heated considerably. I could sense the energy as it was enraged, and flared around us. Something was coming. And it was not very friendly. _**Get ready! **_Mai said, sounding determined.

Genis cried out in surprise, "What is this?" Lava shot from out of the alter, and poured onto the floor. Both Lloyd and Kratos unsheathed their blades, while Genis, Colette, and Raine ran to the back of the room. I pulled out my fan, ready for what was to come. The lava slowly mutated into a new form, and then changed into a solid being. The creature before us was a giant saber tooth tiger. Its body appeared to be dark orange, with black strips. Fire engulfed its sides and legs, and shot from its mouth when it breathed. Its eyes were the color of hot magma. Blue and purple horns jutted out of its flesh. The cat roared, and then opened its mouth. A torrent of fire shot from its jaws and flew at Kratos and Lloyd.

"_**Guardian!**_" the redhead called, creating a force field to guard himself and the teenager beside him. The shot bounded off his barrier and hit the wall, creating a deep crater. He immediately charged at the lion, and leapt into the air, "_**Tiger Blade!**_" he flipped around as his body began to glow as white as snow, and then descended upon the beast. A deep gash appeared on its shoulder blade, allowing magma to pour from the wound.

"_**Sonic Thrust!**_" Lloyd cried as he lunged at the feline. His glowing blades impaled the beast one after the other.

Kratos parried an attack with its claws, and then turned towards us, "Genis! Can you use ice magic?"

"Not yet!" the boy called back. The redhead turned away and sliced the monster's paw opened. It roared with pain and lunged at him, bent on revenge. It fangs would have sunk into his flesh had he not dodged the attack and landed on its back. He impaled it with his sword again, and then chanted "_**Demon Fang!**_" the monster screamed in agony.

"_**Sword Rain!**_" a flurry of slashes soon followed after Lloyd chanted the words. The creature roared, and created another beam of fire. The beam shot past the two males and straight at us. Raine leapt in front of Colette and her brother, determined to protect both her and Genis. I stood there, frozen with fear as the fatal attack the approached us. _**Do you need me? Or are you prepared to die? **_Mai asked in a serious tone.

_I don't want to die! Not yet, at least. But what can you do to help me? _I asked.

_**I will help you, as long as you keep your promise to me. Do you remember it? **_

I thought about it, deciding to listen to the voice in my head. _The promise I made? _I searched my memories, waiting for an answer. Then, it came to me. _To Regenerate the worlds! I remember now. But Mai…how do you…?_

_**Good. As long as you keep this promise, I will remain loyal to you. Now, call on me, and I shall aid both you and your companions! **_

A surge of cold energy filled me. I pressed my hand to my forehead as strange words formed in my mind. "_**Disciple of everlasting ice that turns translucent, by right as the pact maker I command thee. Come forth, Celsius!**_" Everything went numb. I could no longer feel my own body. A flurry of snow flakes and blue light engulfed me. A silver hand appeared before me, and created a barrier made of ice. The beam hit the barrier, and then vanished.

"Keira!" Raine gasped. My body moved of its own accord. It turned to face her.

"Sorry, but I'm not Keira. My name is Celsius, the Ice Spirit." A familiar voice replied. My body looked around, "Huh? Keira, where are you?" the voice asked.

_**I'm right here! **_I was surprised when I found that my voice echoed.

She blinked, "Keira? N-no way…" I watched as the silver hands trembled, "YOU IDIOT! YOU SCREWD UP THE SUMMON!" she raged, "I'm not really free, I just possessed your body!" _**Well sorry! It was my first time summoning you, alright!? **_I shouted back. She sighed, "No matter. I can still whoop this guy's ass either way." I gazed into the ice shield, and saw my reflection. I appeared to be a teenage girl. My hair was short, and spiked in an interesting style. It had become black with a dark blue hue. Ice blue irises gazed back at me. My skin was now silver. A golden band was wrapped around my neck, with two others around my wrists. Dark blue tattoos decorated my arms, shoulders, stomach, and legs. A white, sleeveless belly-shirt covered the top half of my torso; it was lined with gold. A golden belt was wrapped around my waist, and a long, dark blue skirt billowed around my legs. Tan, short boots acted as my footwear.

_This is who I really am, the guardian spirit of Ice. My name is Celsius, and I made a pact with you when you were really little. It was during a snow storm, and I took pity on you. So I made a pact with you. Now, I'll just whip the floor with him and then let you take control, 'kay? _Celsius explained.

_**Uh, sure, whatever. **_I replied, not entirely sure what to say. Celsius destroyed the ice barrier, and then grinned at the cat, "You wanna piece of me? Well then come and get it!" She lunged at it and created a small group of four sword, each made of frozen water. She thrusted her hands forward, and impaled the beast. The creature cried out and swiped at it with its claws. Celsius dodged the attack and delivered a powerful kick to its paw, creating a sickening crunching sound as her foot connected. "_**Sonic Thrust!**_" Kratos chanted as he sliced the beast's side open. "_**Sword Rain!**_" Lloyd added, creating a flurry of slashes.

Celsius cast two quick, yet powerful ice spells before landing on the ground, and kneeling down. "It's over!" she cried as she slammed her fist into the ground. Spikes made of translucent ice shot from the ground and impaled the tiger, holding it in place. Kratos and Lloyd leapt into the air, and then delivered three powerful attacks to its skull, tearing it apart. The creature screamed in anguish as it melted into a pool of lava, and then vanished completely. The room cooled to a comfortable temperature. Celsius sighed. _It was good to get some exercise again. You can take over now… _Feeling returned to my body. I looked down at my hands, and found that they were a normal color. I sighed in relief and popped my back. _We defeated the first seal…_

**End of this chapter. Yes, Mai was actually Celsius. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	10. Chapter 10

**And now for the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing. Yes, I decided that a caster would be more appropriate, instead of someone who relies on physical attacks. I'm still having trouble describing the fighting scenes, but hopefully I'll get better (somehow). Anyway, here's the next chapter… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**game or their characters.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OC's and story twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 9: Ill **

"_Reason is our soul's left hand…_

_Faith her right…_"

-John Donne

I stretched my arms above my head and quickly rejoined with the others. Kratos sheathed his blade at the same time as Lloyd.

"Phew," the brunette sighed, "that was a close one. But we won!" He was proud of our victory, obviously. Our joy was short-lived, however, when steam began to pour from the alter. We all turned to face it, and waited for something to appear. A glowing white and red orb floated from within the alter.

"_You_," the voice echoed, "_the Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers at the alter._" The voice was male, and it was familiar.

Colette stepped forward from the crowd, "Yes, my lord," She ascended the steps and stood before the alter. She clamped her hands together, bowed her head, and then closed her eyes. "Oh Goddess Martel," she prayed, "great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength." In Sylvarant, they believed in a Goddess named Martel. On Earth, humans believed in a multitude of different things. I believed in God specifically. Yes, I am religious, something I am proud of. Although it was against my beliefs, I decided to not to lecture the people of Sylvarant. If that was their beliefs, then I had no right to judge them. The light slowly transformed into a familiar man. The Angel, Remiel, appeared before us. His white wings protruded from his back, and his body was wrapped in both light and dark green cloth.

"Colette," he smiled proudly, "my dear daughter, you have done well."

She smiled up at him, "Thank-you…Fa-th-er." She drug the word out, finding it difficult to finally be able to speak to her true father.

"The guardian of the seal has fallen, and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon," Remiel continued, "In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the Angels."

"Thank-you my lord." Colette responded.

I was surprised when a pair of bright pink wings sprouted from her back. They were the same design as my own, only mine were pure white. They flapped, causing her to rise into the air. The blonde looked around in surprise. "The Angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is for but one night. Be strong and endure."

"I humbly accept this trial." The blue-eyed girl replied, a soft smile on her face.

He went on, "The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prayers at the alter there." He dispersed as a small group of golden fireflies. Shortly after his disappearance, I summoned my own ivory wings. They flapped, and allowed them to stay out longer than usual.

"Colette…has wings!" Lloyd gasped. He looked from her to me, and then to her again, "We've got two Angels in the group! Alright!"

The blonde nodded, "Uh-huh. And we can put them away, too." Her wings vanished, and then reappeared.

"That's so cool!" Genis cried, excitement in his eyes, "Can you both fly with them?"

I nodded, "Yes." I jumped up, and hovered above the ground instead of dropping back down. Then, I forced myself to land on my feet once more.

"He said the next place is across the sea. That means we get to sail on a ship! Yes! I can't wait!" the seventeen-year-old cried, doing a small jig.

Raine seemed less excited, "A ship? Hmm…I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now."

"We should head to the coast to see what we can find." Kratos suggested.

I looked at them, "Anything to get out of the desert."

Lloyd turned to Genis and Colette, who were playing with her wings, "Okay you two, we get it. That's enough." The brunette chuckled.

Colette's wings vanished as she and Genis smiled sheepishly, "Okay." They said simultaneously. Kratos and Raine headed towards the teleporter, with the rest of us following behind. I retracted my wings into my back before vanishing from the room…

To my immense relief, all of the zombies were gone. It was a simple task descending the stairways and leaving the lava filled room. We moved down the two corridors and ascended the stairs. The desert heat assaulted us immediately. I was the last to attempt to walk down the steps, away from the entrance of the temple. Without warning, my knees buckled, and I fell forward. Kratos, who was in front of me, jerked around and caught me before I could hit the ground.

"Keira!" Lloyd shouted, "Huh? Colette! Are you two okay?"

Kratos held me in his arms, bridal style, and turned to face the others. Colette was sitting on her knees; like mine, her breathing was ragged. I was hotter than before, and found it difficult to breathe. I felt ill, and was far too weak and dizzy to stand.

Raine inspected Colette, and then ran to both Kratos and me. She looked at me for a second. "I'm…f-fine." The blonde breathed.

"You don't look fine at all," Genis said worriedly, "Your face is really pale," he sighed, "it's all my fault. I got carried away, making you pull your wings in and out."

"I don't think that has anything to do with." Lloyd said, sounding a little unsure.

Raine shook her head, "Now's not the time for that. Both Keira and Colette are getting worse. We need to take them to a doctor in Triet immediately!"

"Wait," Kratos said quickly, "It's best not to move them."

The brunette turned to him, "How come?"

"Remember the Angel's words?" the older male asked, "The Angel transformation is a process that requires Colette to overcome a trial. As for Keira, I'm not sure why she is undergoing the same process. But…I think that there is the possibility of two Chosen Ones. But I could be wrong. It would be best not to take them to a doctor."

Raine gasped, "_Two _Chosen Ones? Is that even possible?"

"Who knows?" Kratos shrugged, carefully cradling me in his arms.

Colette sighed, "I'm…okay. I just need a little rest. I'll be fine," She insisted. I was too weak to talk. I felt worse than I did when I last had the flu. "I'm sorry I'm causing so much trouble." She added.

"Stop apologizing all the time 'ya dork," Lloyd said, causing me to chuckle weakly. My head throbbed with pain violently. "It's not as if you can help it. You suddenly changed into an angel."

She nodded, "You're right…sorry."

He sighed, "Well, anyway, let's setup camp before it gets dark." He suggested.

"Agreed," Kratos said with a quick nod. He moved to the side of the ruins, where the old remains of the temple would not be in our way. There, he set me down on the sandy ground and opened his travel bag. He pulled out a blanket, and then covered me. "Genis, come here," The white-haired boy ran up to him. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small bowl, "Fill this with water," He ordered as he pulled a handkerchief out next. The boy held his hands over the bowl, and in an instant, it filled with clear liquid, "Thank-you." Kratos dipped the handkerchief in the small bowl, and then folded it before placing it on my forehead.

"Thank…you…" I whispered, and closed my eyes. I was so weak, and my body was beginning to ache. My stomach growled at me, desperate for nourishment. It would have to wait, however. What I needed more than anything was to sleep…

The haze slowly lifted. _Where…am I? _My eyelids lifted, allowing me to gaze at a black sheet, decorated with shimmering silver diamonds. A glowing, ivory pearl hovered in above me. It was the night sky. A fire crackled in the distance. Soft murmurs accompanied it. I cocked my head so that I could see the source of the noise. There was a small campfire nearby, with Raine, Genis, and Colette sitting around. Lloyd appeared in my peripheral vision. I turned my head, and found Kratos sitting in the dark, starring up at the moon. He looked troubled. Colette was gazing into the fire, as if thinking of a far away place. Raine and Genis were eating some kind of stew, engrossed in a conversation. Lloyd wore both a curious and worried expression as he approached the blonde. Memories from a few hours ago entered my mind.

_Oh, that's right…I'm sick. _I thought. _**IT LIVES!!! **_Celsius shouted dramatically in the back of my mind. I decided to ignore her. There was a small whimper. I turned my head, and found Noishe sitting nearby, under a palm tree. It was starring at me. I rolled out of the makeshift bed, and rose to my feet. Raine was the first to notice me, "Keira, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, actually," I replied, "A lot better." I heard a howl in the distance. I looked at it, wondering what it was.

"Is something wrong?" the female half-elf asked.

I turned my attention back to her, "You didn't hear that? The howl?"

"Howl?" she was ignorant to the sound I heard. _Weird. _I thought as I stretched my limbs. "Are you hungry?"

I thought about it. Just before going to sleep, I felt as though I had gone days without eating. But I no longer hungered for anything. Very strange, "No, not really." Then again, my mind could have been playing tricks on me, because I was so ill. I crossed our small campsite and stopped beside Kratos. "Hey."

He looked at me, "Hello," he paused, "Are you well?"

"Yes," I replied, "Can I sit here?" He nodded. I placed myself beside him, and turned my gaze on the moon. I always felt that the moon was special. As if, something connected to it were gazing down on me. On odd feeling. But if there was an ice spirit, than maybe there was a moon spirit, too.

"The moon is beautiful tonight." Kratos' voice startled me.

I calmed, and then smiled at him, "Yes, it is." Usually, I was nervous when being outside at night. But this night was different. I was serene. I was less paranoid about someone attacking me from the darkness. I glanced down at my right hand, and found the Exsphere there.

"Curious about how it works?" the redhead asked. His eyes were on me.

I nodded, "A little."

"It seems that you are more useful as a spell caster," Kratos began, "An Exsphere increases your best traits. For Lloyd and me, our physical strength and stamina is increased. For you, Genis, and Raine, your magical strength and stamina would increase significantly. In order to activate the Exsphere, you need to allow it to absorb some of your energy. You should continue training; who knows what we will encounter?" He finished.

I replied without tearing my eyes away from the moon, "I plan on it." _I don't want to be a burden on them. I'll have to train, so that I can improve my skills and be useful. _

"If you do not mind me asking," the redhead continued, "Where or when did you make a pact with Celsius, the ice spirit?"

I turned my head so that I could look at him, "I…don't remember." It was a lie, but I was still feigning amnesia. I could not allow anyone to know that I could remember my past. It would extremely awkward for everyone to think that I was crazy. I allowed my wings to protrude from my back, and flapped them. They were even brighter at night, when the moonlight was reflecting off of them. My body convulsed when a cough fought its way from my body. I covered my mouth, and waited for the coughing to cease. I sighed, and turned my attention on the moon. _Wings…feeling ill…what's happening to me? _For some reason, it felt as though someone were watching me…

**This chapter is finished. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	11. Chapter 11

**And here is the next chapter. Sorry if it's getting boring because it's sticking too closely to the game. The pace should start picking up soon. Also, I would like it if readers could tell me where I need to improve when writing out fighting scenes. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any **_**Tales **_**game or their characters.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OC's and story twists.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 10: Ossa **

"_All change is not growth,_

_As all movement is not forward._"

-Ellen Glasgow

Sand was no longer appealing. That was the first thought that came to mind when I awoke the next morning. I was lying on the small grains of earth, a dark blanket covering me. The sun had risen in the morning sky, and not a cloud was in sight. The temperature had risen quite a lot. Before going to sleep, I had made sure to hide my wings. Genis had already finished breakfast, and everyone was eating. Colette wore an unsure expression as she consumed her morning stew. Still, I did not have the need to consume anything. I shrugged and made sure that all of my materials were packed.

Kratos rose to his feet and began folding his blanket. He placed the now empty bowl and cloth in his pack. "Thank-you." I said, watching him as he worked.

"Your welcome." He replied. Once everyone was finished eating, Genis packed the cooking supplies, and we left our campsite. I sighed as I moved through the heated desert, wanting to see a new form of land. Sand whirled around us as the wind carried it. There was little to no resistance as we made our way to Triet. There, Colette and Raine purchased the supplies we would need, and then we left the town for the last time. Our group of six began making its way through the desert once more. A rogue thief attacked while we were moving; Kratos killed him before he could lay a hand on Genis. Noishe followed closely behind, not wanting to be left without its master.

To my immense relief, I noticed that the desert landscape was slowly changing. The air was cooling, and I could see the jagged rocks created by a small mountain. Before long, I soon found myself surrounded by rocks and grass. Our group soon came to a trail leading into the new, lush geography.

"Whew," Lloyd whipped some sweat from his brow, "I'm glad be outta that desert."

Genis looked around as he went, "Same here."

"Where is this place anyway?" the brunette asked.

"The Ossa Trail," Kratos replied, "there are a high number of thieves here. Be on your guard."

He glared at the older male, "I know! Stop reminding me." Obviously, Lloyd was not very fond of the redheaded male. I found it interesting that their fighting style was so close. _Probably just a coincidence. _I thought as I continued walking. A hill was nearby. I could also see what appeared to be a lever protruding from the ground. Colette stopped to examine, mostly out of what I guessed to be curiosity. Raine and Kratos stopped to talk, while Lloyd and Genis were looking around the trail. A loud thump caught our attention.

I turned to face the source of the noise, and found a person standing near Colette. Said person was a female human, possibly around the age of nineteen. She had long, black hair with a lavender tint. Her hair was tied up by a pink ribbon. Her eyes were a deep brown, and her skin tone was fair. She wore a short-sleeved, lavender colored Japanese-styled shirt that was kept closed with a pink and red sash; the bow in the back was long, and billowed in the wind. She wore a black and white long-sleeved undershirt, which was low-cut so that her cleavage was revealed. Lavender gloves that revealed her fingers covered nearly all of her arms, except for her elbows, revealing the black cloth of her sleeves. Black pants covered her legs, and last she wore lavender colored, short boots. She held what appeared to be a purifying sutra in one hand, and moved to an offensive position.

"Is the Chosen of Mana among you?" she asked in a commanding tone.

Colette raised her hand, "I'm right here."

She glared at the younger female, "Prepare to die!" she growled threateningly. My eyes widened when she charged at the teenager. Colette cried out and fell backwards, hitting the lever. The woman was about to attack, when she stopped in mid run. She looked down, and then a scream ripped through the air as she descended. I blinked in confusion, and approached the spot where she once stood. There was a wooden, now open, trapdoor. The woman fell into a deep hole. I winced when there was a loud thud.

"Oops," Colette gasped. She leapt to her feet and gazed down into the hole worriedly, "Oh no, I did it again!" she sighed, "I hope she's okay."

_**I knew her klutziness would save her life one day. But honestly, does she really for sorry for her? **_Celsius asked. "Kudos to timing." I mumbled.

"Even assuming her weight to be forty-five kilograms," Genis began as he knelt beside the hole, "and this hole to be ten meters deep, and calculating the gravity constant at nine-point-eight, the impact shouldn't have been fatal." He finished.

Lloyd was dumfounded, "Gravity…constant?" He shrugged, "I have no idea what you just said, but she's alive…right?"

"Probably." The white-haired male replied without taking his eyes from the ditch.

Lloyd knelt over the hole, chuckling, "Still man, she's got some bad luck. Standing right on top of a trapdoor and all."

"It's not a trap," Raine corrected, "it's a hidden maintenance passage for the mountain trail."

I nodded and rose to my full height, "That makes sense. I mean, who in Sylvarant would put a random trapdoor here? And for no reason?"

"That's what I thought." The half-elf said.

"We should get moving." Kratos announced.

Lloyd looked at him, "But shouldn't we try to find out who that woman was?"

"There is no need for that," the older male replied, "She will come to us on her own. This area is too confined, and the footing is poor. It would be wise not to linger." Lloyd shrugged and gripped the lever. He pulled it, and the doors closed. I followed Kratos as he began moving up the trail. The others quickly followed. Birds chirped as we made our way up the mountain trail. The air was cooler here than it was in Iselia Forest of the desert. I was relieved when giant worms did attempt to add me to the menu. It was not long until three thieves attacked us. Lloyd and Kratos charged at them, prepared to end the battle as soon as possible. Genis casted a powerful earth spell to finish the third off quickly. Once they were out of the way, we began descending the trail, continuing our quest of regeneration.

Before long, we reached the exit of the Ossa Trail. I was curious to see what new places and people I would encounter after we left. I prayed that not everyone would be out to kill us. A loud slam scared me, and I jerked around to face where a wooden door had just been. I could see the passage that Raine spoke of earlier. In front of the entrance stood the woman, glaring at us fiercely.

"W-wait!" she ordered, and moved to an offensive stance.

Lloyd smiled, "Wow, she caught up." He mused cheerfully.

"And you're happy about that, why…?" I asked. He simply shrugged.

Colette attempted to approach her, "Oh, thank goodness." She sighed in relief.

"D-don't move!" the woman in lavender ordered. She was probably wounded.

Raine held up her staff, glaring at the woman, "A wise decision."

"I won't be caught off guard this time," the woman spat, "prepare to die!" she held out two sutras, and closed her eyes. She muttered an incantation, causing the wind to pick up. I gazed at the beast that she conjured in shock. It resembled a black, extremely skinny bird, bigger than a normal human male. Ripped, blood-red cloth hung around its waist, and it had long, unkept blood-red hair. Long claws protruded from its sickeningly skinny, long hands and fingers. A dark, rusted metal object hovered behind it. The beast hovered and flew in order to move. This creature was a symbol of death. "Guardian, attack!" she ordered.

The beast flew forward, its claws prepared to rip Colette from limb to limb. Kratos leapt in the way, and used his sword to parry the beast's attack. "_**Demon Fang!**_" he chanted, allowing the ivory lightning to injure the monster.

"_**Fireball!**_" Genis chanted. Orbs made of flame shot from the small paddle-ball like item he pulled out of his back, and encircled the woman. They were about to devour her, but she managed to dodge the attack by leaping into the air. She tossed one of the sacred sutras at the boy. It landed on his forehead, and electrocuted him.

"Genis!" Raine cried as she held up her staff, "_**First Aid!**_" A pure, ivory light shot from her staff and engulfed the wounded boy.

He rose to his feet, and breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, sis."

"_**Sword Rain!**_" Lloyd cried, creating a flurry of stabbing motions as he attacked the summon beast.

"_**Angel Feathers!**_" Colette called as she summoned her bright pink wings. Glowing, snow white feathers rained from the sky, and soared around the beast. They sliced at its body, like sharp knives.

The creature roared, and released a powerful wind spell. The attack sent Lloyd flying across the small area, and slamming into a naturally made wall. He rose to his feet, and charged at the beast. Kratos leapt into the air, and then did a flip as he cried "_**Tiger Blade!**_" his sword began to glow once more as he attempted to injure the beast. The creature caught his blade, and tossed him to the side. He landed on his feet, and charged at it once again. Colette tossed her chakrams at the guardian, trying to wound it as much as possible.

As for me, I pulled out my fan and ran at the ninja. I attempted to cut her hip, but she caught my hand and then decked me in the jaw. I quickly forced myself to recover from her attack, and kneed her in the stomach. My ivory wings protruded from my back, shocking the woman. I called forth the pure energy as I attempted to mimic Colette's attack, "_**Angel Feathers!**_" I cried. The same ivory feathers fell from the sky, and began cutting at the ninja's flesh. Raine was beginning to tire. She constantly had to heal the others; the wind guardian was too strong for them. I narrowed my eyes at the beast after I kicked the woman in stomach again, this time knocking the breath out of her. She was still wounded from her fall. I held out my hands, and forced the angered energy to flow, "_**Stalagmite!**_" Boulders tore from the ground, and impaled the mountainous area behind the guardian. Rubble began to fall, and eventually crushed the creature beneath it.

"Damn it!" the woman cursed angrily. We all turned towards her, prepared to attack, "Uh…" she looked around nervously, "…just you wait! Next time we meet, your dead!" an explosion of grey smoke blinded us. When I could see, I found that the woman was gone.

Lloyd was glaring at the spot she once occupied, "Why're people trying to kill us?"

"There are always those who will reject salvation." Kratos said as he turned away and sheathed his sword.

"She could've been a Desian." Genis suggested.

I shook my head, "No," and placed my fan in my pocket, "for some reason, I don't think she was a Desian."

"Your right," Raine replied, "In any case, she could have been hired to attack us by someone else."

"Who knows?" Kratos said, "At any rate, we are in constant danger. That's all we know."

The white-haired woman mumbled something to herself, "Professor," Lloyd asked, "is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," she replied, "let's go."

"Agreed." I said as I began walking towards the exit of the trail. A wonderful sight awaited us. Beyond the trail was a beautiful, lush field. Ivory, fluffy clouds swam in the calm waters above us. A dirt trail seemed to go for miles, with no end in sight. We began making our way down the trail. The possibilities of running into bandits were slim, considering that this was an open field and only small bushes could hide their scheming forms. As we were walking down the road, I found myself wondering about my other life. My life on Earth. Thoughts of my friends and family passed through my mind. _I wonder what they're doing right now. Do they know that I'm gone? Are they looking for me? Or is this one of those weird worlds where three or four days in this world is only three or four minutes in the other world? _I sighed. _Whatever. _It would be a good idea not to dwell on the matter. Memories of my life continued to flow, allowing me to view all of what I missed the most. It was exciting being able to see new places, but it hurt, knowing that I may never see my homeworld again.

Boring hour after hour seemed to follow as we marched along this never-ending trail. We dropped by a rest-stop, which were run by monks of the Martel religion. They allowed us to rest, and even fed us before we continued on. For them, it was an honor to meet the Chosen of Regeneration at least once in their lives. A sign of hope. One group of bandits was dumb enough to attack us in broad daylight. Kratos and Lloyd made quick work of them before we moved on. Soon, we came to a small village near the coast.

Upon arriving at the village, I saw a worn, wooden sign saying 'Izoold Village'. Small huts made of wood, mainly, made up the village. There was a dock not too far from where we stood; I could see at least two decent sized boats. We decided to go shopping in the nearest city, which Raine called 'Palmacosta'. The six of us went to the dock immediately, and ran into an interesting pair.

A young girl, possibly in her late teens, was standing on the dock. Her face was twisted into an expression filled with annoyance, "What do you mean? If you don't take it, then I will!" she shouted angrily.

The middle-aged man who was engaged in the conversation, wore a worried expression, "Okay, okay…I'll go..." he looked away, sighing in defeat, "…dammit."

"You know," she smiled in triumph, "this would have been so much easier had you agreed from the start." He rolled his eyes as she turned and began walking away. She stopped when she saw Lloyd, and began starring at him. He returned her gaze, with a strange expression on his face.

One of his eyebrows arched, "Can I help you with something?"

"Maybe you'll do," she whispered, then her voice increased in volume, "listen, I know that this is extremely weird to do, but would you take this letter" she held up said object "to my fiancé? Aifread lives across the ocean. Here," she dug around in her pocket, and then handed Lloyd a few gold coins, "this is your payment for doing so. Asking total strangers to complete this task strange and I would go if I could, but I need to stay here and look after my grandmother. Will you do this for me?"

Lloyd nodded, "Uh…sure…why not?"

"Oh thank-you," she embraced him, "I'll be eternally grateful if you do this. What's your name, by the way?"

"Lloyd," The teenager replied. "Why?"

She smiled sweetly as she spoke, "I wanted to know your name so that if I find out you failed, I can hunt you down and get my money back. Bye." We watched as she left the dock. The seventeen-year-old looked worried.

"So are you gonna do it?" Genis asked.

He sighed, "Actually, I was planning to throw this away," he looked at the letter with dismay, "but I don't have a choice now."

"There is no way I would've let you throw that away," I said, looking at the young man with a stern expression, "you told her you'd do it, so you're going to do it."

Lloyd nodded, "Crap."

"Come," Kratos called. He was standing beside the middle-aged man, "this fisherman promised to ferry us across the ocean. Let's go." Without hesitation, the five of us boarded the wooden boat. It was filled with supplies that belonged to the fisherman. Raine stood there for a second, starring at the boat as if it were frightening, and then slowly go on. She attached herself to the wall of the cabin, too scared to approach the side. Something told me that she had a fear of water, boats, or both. Come to think of it, I realized that this would be the first time I road in actual boat. The first boat I was in was on a lake, and it was barely worth mentioning. Not a very pleasant experience. But now I was on a real boat, so I was exited to see what it would be like.

The boat soon set sail, and began moving away from the shore. I watched as the clear blue water shimmered in the sunlight. Small fish swam around, enjoying their lives. _I wonder what lies in store for us next…_

**Cutting the chapter off here. I will be starting a **_**Tales of the Abyss **_**fic soon, and there will be references made between Growing Wings and the other one. The reason behind this will be explained in my **_**Tales of the Abyss **_**fic (still thinking of the name). I will probably post the first chapter of my other fic soon. Please review and I shall update soon…**


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